CVE-2004-1866 in Nstx
Summary
by MITRE
nstxd in Nstx 1.1 beta3 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a large packet, which triggers a null dereference.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1866 affects the nstxd component within Nstx version 1.1 beta3 and earlier releases, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks. This issue stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the network service daemon that processes incoming data packets. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the system receives a malformed packet of excessive size, causing the application to crash due to improper memory management handling. The flaw constitutes a classic null pointer dereference condition where the software attempts to access memory at address zero, leading to an immediate system termination.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability operates through a fundamental flaw in the packet processing logic where the nstxd service fails to properly validate the size and structure of incoming network data. When a malicious actor sends a packet larger than the expected buffer capacity, the application's memory allocation routines become corrupted, resulting in a null pointer dereference error. This condition falls under CWE-476 which specifically addresses null pointer dereference vulnerabilities, and represents a type of memory safety issue that has been prevalent in network services for decades. The vulnerability demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where input validation occurs too late in the processing pipeline, allowing malformed data to propagate through the system until it triggers a critical failure point.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it provides attackers with a reliable method to crash network services without requiring authentication or specialized privileges. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness from any network location to cause system instability, potentially leading to extended downtime for affected services. The vulnerability's exploitability is particularly concerning because it requires no prior access credentials and can be executed automatically through network scanning tools. This makes it a prime target for automated attack campaigns that seek to disrupt network availability and compromise service reliability. The denial of service condition affects not only the immediate application but can also impact underlying network infrastructure if the service is critical to system operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch deployment and network-level protections. The most effective solution involves upgrading to Nstx versions that contain proper input validation and memory management fixes. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to this vulnerability, particularly in environments where untrusted network traffic is present. Additionally, deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify and block large packet anomalies provides an additional layer of defense. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499 which covers network denial of service attacks, making it a target for comprehensive security monitoring and incident response protocols. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar memory safety issues in other network services, as this type of flaw is commonly found in legacy applications that lack modern defensive programming practices.