CVE-2003-1490 in Pro
Summary
by MITRE
SonicWall Pro running firmware 6.4.0.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reset) via a long HTTP POST to the internal interface, possibly due to a buffer overflow.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2016
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-1490 affects SonicWall Pro firewall appliances operating with firmware version 6.4.0.1, presenting a critical remote denial of service risk that can be exploited by attackers without authentication. This issue specifically targets the internal interface of the device, making it particularly concerning for network security administrators who rely on these appliances for perimeter defense. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the HTTP POST processing functionality, creating a pathway for malicious actors to disrupt normal network operations through carefully crafted malicious requests.
The technical flaw manifests as a buffer overflow condition that occurs when the SonicWall Pro device receives an HTTP POST request containing an excessive amount of data. This buffer overflow vulnerability exists within the device's internal interface processing code, where the system fails to properly validate the length of incoming data before attempting to store it in memory buffers. The overflow condition causes the device to crash and subsequently reset, leading to complete service disruption for the protected network. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of insufficient boundary checking in network service implementations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can lead to significant network downtime and potential security gaps during the reset period. Network administrators may experience loss of connectivity for all services protected by the affected SonicWall appliance, including firewalled applications, internal network communications, and external access controls. The remote exploitability means that attackers can trigger the denial of service from anywhere on the network without requiring physical access or authentication credentials, making the attack surface particularly broad. This vulnerability effectively violates the principle of availability in the CIA security triad and can be classified under ATT&CK technique T1499.1, which involves network denial of service attacks targeting network infrastructure devices.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate firmware updates from SonicWall to address the buffer overflow condition, along with network segmentation to limit exposure of the internal interface to untrusted networks. Organizations should implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and establish incident response procedures for rapid recovery from device resets. Network administrators should also consider implementing access control lists to restrict access to internal interfaces from external networks, and maintain backup configurations to enable rapid restoration of device settings following a successful attack. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of regular security updates and proper input validation in network infrastructure devices to prevent exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities that can lead to complete system compromise and service disruption.