CVE-2002-1556 in ONS15327
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco ONS15454 and ONS15327 running ONS before 3.4 allows attackers to cause a denial of service (reset) via an HTTP request to the TCC, TCC+ or XTC, in which the request contains an invalid CORBA Interoperable Object Reference (IOR).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1556 affects Cisco ONS15454 and ONS15327 optical network switches operating with ONS software versions prior to 3.4. These network devices are critical components in telecommunications infrastructure responsible for managing high-speed data transmission across optical fiber networks. The affected systems utilize TCC (Transport Control Card), TCC+ (Transport Control Card Plus), and XTC (Cross-Connect Card) modules that handle various network control functions including HTTP-based management interfaces. The vulnerability resides in how these control cards process incoming HTTP requests that contain malformed CORBA Interoperable Object References, creating a significant security risk that can compromise network availability and service continuity.
This specific flaw represents a classic buffer overflow condition within the CORBA IOR parsing mechanism of the affected Cisco network switches. When an attacker crafts a malicious HTTP request containing an invalid CORBA IOR structure, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize the input before processing it within the transport control card's memory management subsystem. The malformed IOR data triggers an unexpected behavior in the application's memory handling routines, causing the system to reset or crash entirely. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of Stack-based Buffer Overflow, where the system's memory management fails to properly validate input data length and structure, leading to memory corruption and system instability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions as it can result in complete network service disruption for critical infrastructure components. When the affected TCC, TCC+, or XTC modules reset, they interrupt the optical network switching functions, potentially causing data transmission failures across connected networks. This can lead to cascading failures throughout the telecommunications infrastructure, affecting multiple services and potentially impacting critical communications systems. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication to exploit, making it accessible to any attacker who can reach the network device's HTTP management interface, and the impact is immediate and severe.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate software upgrades to ONS 3.4 or later versions where the CORBA IOR parsing has been corrected and input validation has been implemented. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of these management interfaces to trusted networks only. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual HTTP traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for Network Denial of Service, where adversaries leverage system weaknesses to disrupt network services. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify malformed CORBA IOR structures and HTTP requests that match known patterns associated with this specific vulnerability, providing early warning capabilities for potential exploitation attempts.