CVE-2004-2399 in Sidewinder G2
Summary
by MITRE
Secure Computing Corporation Sidewinder G2 6.1.0.01 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via delayed responses to DNS queries.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/17/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2399 affects the Secure Computing Corporation Sidewinder G2 6.1.0.01 firewall appliance, representing a significant denial of service weakness in network security infrastructure. This particular flaw manifests when the device encounters delayed responses to DNS queries, causing excessive cpu consumption that ultimately leads to system unresponsiveness. The vulnerability operates at the network protocol level, specifically targeting the device's handling of dns resolution processes, which are fundamental to network operations and security policy enforcement. The affected system demonstrates inadequate resource management when processing asynchronous dns responses, creating a condition where malicious or malformed dns replies can trigger sustained cpu utilization that degrades system performance to the point of complete service disruption.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and resource allocation mechanisms within the Sidewinder G2's dns processing module. The device fails to implement proper timeout mechanisms or resource limiting when handling delayed dns responses, allowing attackers to exploit this weakness through crafted dns query responses. The flaw can be categorized under CWE-400 as "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1498.100 as "Network Denial of Service" within the context of resource exhaustion attacks. The system's response handling logic appears to lack proper state management for dns transactions, leading to indefinite resource allocation for pending queries that never complete properly.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it affects the core security functionality of the firewall appliance. When the cpu consumption reaches critical levels, legitimate network traffic processing becomes severely impaired, potentially allowing attackers to bypass security controls or making the device ineffective for its primary purpose of network protection. Organizations relying on this specific firewall version face significant risk during attack scenarios where dns-based resource exhaustion attacks are employed, as the system becomes unable to process normal security policies or maintain network connectivity for authorized users. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where dns traffic is heavily monitored or where the firewall serves as a critical network gateway.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of network-level protections and device configuration updates. Organizations should implement dns response filtering mechanisms that limit the number of concurrent dns queries and establish stricter timeout parameters for dns resolution processes. Network administrators should consider deploying dns caching solutions that can handle delayed responses more efficiently and reduce the load on the firewall appliance. Additionally, applying the vendor-supplied patches or firmware updates that address the specific resource management issues in the Sidewinder G2 6.1.0.01 release represents the most effective long-term solution. Security teams should also implement monitoring systems that can detect unusual cpu utilization patterns and alert administrators to potential exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability operates silently until it reaches critical resource exhaustion levels.