CVE-2002-0629 in Viewstation
Summary
by MITRE
The Telnet service for Polycom ViewStation before 7.2.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via multiple connections to the server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-0629 affects the Telnet service implementation within Polycom ViewStation devices running firmware versions prior to 7.2.4. This represents a classic denial of service weakness that exploits the service's inability to properly handle concurrent connection attempts. The flaw specifically manifests when multiple simultaneous connections are established to the Telnet server, leading to system instability and eventual service termination. Such vulnerabilities fall under the category of insufficient input validation and resource management issues commonly documented in cybersecurity frameworks.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability stems from inadequate connection handling within the Telnet service daemon. When multiple concurrent connections are initiated, the service fails to properly allocate system resources or maintain connection state information, resulting in memory corruption or thread exhaustion. This type of flaw aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes unspecified resource management issues, and specifically demonstrates weaknesses in resource leak handling and connection state management. The service essentially crashes or becomes unresponsive when overwhelmed by concurrent connection attempts, creating a persistent availability disruption for legitimate users.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on Polycom ViewStation devices for video conferencing and communication services. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this weakness from any network location without requiring physical access or elevated privileges. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption as it can disrupt critical business communications, particularly in enterprise environments where these devices serve as primary communication infrastructure. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical skill, making it attractive to threat actors seeking to disrupt operations without sophisticated attack capabilities.
Organizations should prioritize immediate firmware updates to version 7.2.4 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the connection handling flaws. Network segmentation and access control measures can provide temporary mitigation by limiting unauthorized access to the Telnet service ports. Implementing connection rate limiting and monitoring for unusual connection patterns can help detect potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining current firmware versions for all networked devices, as older implementations often contain unpatched security flaws that remain exploitable for years after initial discovery. The incident underscores the critical relationship between software maintenance and overall network security posture, particularly for communication infrastructure devices that remain operational for extended periods without updates.