CVE-2004-0184 in tcpdump
Summary
by MITRE
Integer underflow in the isakmp_id_print for TCPDUMP 3.8.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via an ISAKMP packet with an Identification payload with a length that becomes less than 8 during byte order conversion, which causes an out-of-bounds read, as demonstrated by the Striker ISAKMP Protocol Test Suite.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0184 represents a critical integer underflow condition within the isakmp_id_print function of TCPDUMP version 3.8.1 and earlier releases. This flaw specifically manifests when processing ISAKMP (Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol) packets that contain Identification payloads. The issue arises from improper handling of byte order conversion processes during packet parsing, creating a scenario where the calculated payload length value becomes negative or insufficiently large to accommodate standard ISAKMP header structures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the lack of proper input validation within the packet processing pipeline of TCPDUMP. When an ISAKMP packet with a malformed Identification payload is received, the isakmp_id_print function attempts to convert the payload length field from network byte order to host byte order. However, due to the specific structure of the malicious packet, this conversion results in an integer underflow condition where the length value becomes less than the expected minimum of 8 bytes required for proper payload parsing. This mathematical overflow creates a scenario where subsequent memory access operations reference invalid memory addresses.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it represents a fundamental memory safety issue that can be exploited to crash the TCPDUMP application entirely. When the application attempts to read data from memory locations that are either uninitialized or contain invalid addresses, the program experiences a segmentation fault or similar memory access violation, leading to an application crash. This crash effectively renders the network monitoring capabilities of systems running vulnerable versions of TCPDUMP unusable until the application is manually restarted.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-191, which specifically addresses integer underflow conditions in software implementations. From an adversarial perspective, this issue corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which involves network denial of service attacks through application-level exploitation. The Striker ISAKMP Protocol Test Suite serves as a demonstration tool that validates this vulnerability by crafting specific ISAKMP packets that trigger the integer underflow condition, making it a well-documented and reproducible attack vector. Organizations using TCPDUMP for network security monitoring and analysis face significant risk from this vulnerability, as it can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication or specialized privileges. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper input validation and integer handling in network protocol parsers, particularly in security tools that process untrusted network traffic. System administrators should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems, as the vulnerability provides attackers with a straightforward method to disrupt network monitoring operations. The issue also highlights the broader challenge of maintaining memory safety in legacy network security tools that may not have undergone comprehensive security reviews or modernization efforts.