CVE-2004-1446 in NetScreen ScreenOS
Summary
by MITRE
Unknown vulnerability in ScreenOS in Juniper Networks NetScreen firewall 3.x through 5.x allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reboot or hang) via a crafted SSH v1 packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1446 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Juniper Networks NetScreen firewall devices running ScreenOS versions 3.x through 5.x. This weakness specifically targets the Secure Shell protocol version 1 implementation within the firewall's operating system, creating a pathway for remote attackers to disrupt network services through carefully constructed malicious packets. The vulnerability resides in the device's handling of SSH v1 protocol communications, where malformed or crafted packets can trigger unexpected behavior in the underlying software stack.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker sends specially crafted SSH v1 packets to the target firewall device. These packets contain malformed data structures or unexpected sequence numbers that cause the ScreenOS operating system to enter an unstable state. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with buffer overflow conditions or improper input validation within the SSH protocol parser, where the system fails to properly sanitize incoming packet data before processing. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-129 category of Improper Validation of Array Index, which is commonly associated with protocol parsing errors in network security devices.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant threat to network availability and business continuity. When successfully exploited, the vulnerability causes the affected NetScreen firewall to either reboot unexpectedly or enter a hung state where it becomes unresponsive to network traffic. This disruption affects the entire network infrastructure that relies on the firewall for security policy enforcement, access control, and network segmentation. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption as network administrators may experience extended downtime while diagnosing the issue, and automated failover mechanisms may be triggered, causing additional network instability.
The attack vector for this vulnerability is particularly concerning due to its remote nature and the widespread deployment of affected NetScreen devices in enterprise networks. Attackers can exploit this flaw without requiring physical access or authentication credentials, making it a high-value target for malicious actors seeking to disrupt network operations. The vulnerability affects multiple generations of NetScreen hardware, indicating a fundamental flaw in the protocol implementation that was not properly addressed across the product lifecycle. Organizations running these devices face significant risk of service disruption and potential network exposure during exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-1446 involve immediate implementation of firmware updates from Juniper Networks that address the SSH v1 protocol parsing issue. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation to limit exposure of vulnerable devices to untrusted networks and consider disabling SSH v1 protocol support where possible. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper protocol implementation and input validation in network security devices, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1499.002 for Network Denial of Service attacks. Organizations should also implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous SSH traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, as well as maintain comprehensive backup and recovery procedures to minimize downtime during incident response activities.