CVE-2004-1472 in Enterprise Firewall
Summary
by MITRE
Symantec Enterprise Firewall/VPN Appliances 100, 200, and 200R running firmware before 1.63 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device freeze) via a fast UDP port scan on the WAN interface.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-1472 affects Symantec Enterprise Firewall/VPN Appliances model numbers 100, 200, and 200R when operating with firmware versions prior to 163. This represents a critical denial of service weakness that can be exploited remotely through network-based attacks targeting the device's WAN interface. The flaw manifests specifically when remote attackers execute rapid UDP port scanning techniques against these appliances, resulting in complete device freeze or system unresponsiveness.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and resource handling within the appliance's network processing stack. When the device receives a high volume of UDP packets in rapid succession through the WAN interface, the firmware fails to properly manage the packet processing flow, leading to resource exhaustion or thread deadlock conditions. This behavior aligns with CWE-400, which classifies unchecked resource consumption as a significant weakness in software systems. The vulnerability exploits the device's failure to implement proper rate limiting or packet filtering mechanisms that would normally protect against such scanning activities.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents substantial risk to enterprise network security infrastructure. Organizations relying on these Symantec appliances for perimeter protection face potential disruption of their network security controls, as a successful attack would render the firewall appliance completely non-functional. The device freeze creates a security gap that attackers could exploit to bypass network protections or cause extended service interruptions. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can initiate the exploit from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or local network credentials, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in production environments.
The impact extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass broader security implications for network infrastructure management. Network administrators must account for potential exploitation scenarios that could lead to extended downtime while maintaining security controls. This vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of firmware update management and network segmentation strategies. Organizations should implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual scanning patterns and establish incident response procedures for handling such device failures. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a denial of service attack technique under the network service disruption category, which can serve as a precursor to more sophisticated attacks that exploit the resulting security gaps.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate firmware updates to version 163 or later, which contain patches addressing the resource handling issues. Network administrators should also implement rate limiting and access control measures on the WAN interface to prevent rapid scanning activities. Additionally, organizations should consider deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on suspicious UDP scanning patterns targeting these specific appliance models. Regular vulnerability assessments and network monitoring should be conducted to identify potentially affected devices and ensure comprehensive protection against similar vulnerabilities in the broader Symantec appliance portfolio.