CVE-2001-1064 in CBOS
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco 600 series routers running CBOS 2.0.1 through 2.4.2ap allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via multiple connections to the router on the (1) HTTP or (2) telnet service, which causes the router to become unresponsive and stop forwarding packets.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/24/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-1064 affects Cisco 600 series routers operating with CBOS software versions 2.0.1 through 2.4.2ap, representing a significant denial of service weakness that can be exploited remotely by attackers. This flaw specifically targets the router's HTTP and telnet services, which are commonly used for administrative access and web-based management interfaces. The vulnerability demonstrates a critical design flaw in the router's connection handling mechanisms, where multiple simultaneous connections to these services can trigger a complete system failure that renders the device non-operational.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and connection management within the CBOS operating system. When multiple connections are established simultaneously to either the HTTP or telnet service, the router's processing capabilities become overwhelmed, leading to a condition where the device ceases to forward packets and becomes unresponsive to legitimate network traffic. This behavior aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes improper handling of exceptional conditions in software systems, specifically manifesting as resource exhaustion or system instability. The flaw essentially creates a scenario where the router's processing threads or memory management structures become corrupted or saturated, causing the entire routing function to collapse.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to network infrastructure reliability and availability, particularly in environments where continuous network access is critical. Network administrators may experience complete outages of their routing infrastructure when attackers exploit this weakness, as the device stops forwarding packets entirely rather than simply slowing down or rejecting connections. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromising entire network segments that depend on these routers for connectivity. This vulnerability can be exploited by attackers with minimal technical expertise, as it only requires establishing multiple connections to standard network services, making it particularly dangerous in production environments where such attacks could be carried out by automated tools or malicious actors seeking to disrupt network operations.
The attack vector for CVE-2001-1064 follows the ATT&CK framework's T1499 technique for network denial of service, specifically targeting network infrastructure components to render them non-functional. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on Cisco 600 series routers for their network backbone, as these devices typically serve as critical connectivity points in enterprise and service provider networks. The lack of authentication requirements for the vulnerable services means that attackers can exploit this weakness without prior access credentials, making it a particularly attractive target for network disruption campaigns.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate software updates to CBOS versions that address the connection handling issues, implementing network access controls to limit access to HTTP and telnet services, and deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for unusual connection patterns. Network administrators should also consider disabling unnecessary services and implementing connection rate limiting to prevent the exploitation of this vulnerability. The remediation process aligns with standard security practices outlined in NIST SP 800-41 for network device security management and follows the principle of least privilege by restricting access to critical administrative services only to authorized personnel. Organizations should also implement monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain detailed logs of service access patterns to identify anomalous behavior that might indicate an active attack against this vulnerability.