CVE-2005-0371 in Armagetron
Summary
by MITRE
Armagetron 0.2.6.0 and earlier and Armagetron Advanced 0.2.7.0 and earlier allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (freeze) via a large number of player connections that do not send any data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0371 represents a classic denial of service weakness affecting the Armagetron gaming platforms including both the original Armagetron 0.2.6.0 and earlier versions as well as Armagetron Advanced 0.2.7.0 and earlier versions. This flaw specifically targets the network connection handling mechanisms within these gaming applications, creating a scenario where malicious actors can exploit the system's inability to efficiently manage excessive connection attempts without data transmission. The vulnerability falls under the category of resource exhaustion attacks, where an attacker can consume system resources through legitimate connection mechanisms, ultimately leading to system instability and service unavailability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate connection management protocols within the Armagetron applications. When multiple client connections are established but remain inactive, the server fails to properly time out or clean up these connections, allowing them to persist indefinitely within the system's memory space. This creates a memory leak scenario where each inactive connection consumes system resources without contributing to the actual gameplay experience. The flaw manifests as a failure to implement proper connection lifecycle management, particularly in handling connections that do not send any data packets during their establishment period. This issue directly relates to CWE-400, which addresses the weakness of unspecified resource management problems in software systems. The lack of proper timeout mechanisms and connection cleanup procedures creates an exploitable condition where an attacker can simply establish numerous connections and leave them idle, gradually consuming all available connection slots and system memory.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromising the entire gaming environment. When the system becomes overwhelmed with inactive connections, legitimate players may experience connection failures or complete service unavailability, affecting the user experience and potentially damaging the reputation of the gaming platform. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires minimal technical expertise to execute, making it accessible to a wide range of potential attackers. The vulnerability can be exploited through automated tools that rapidly establish connections without sending any data, causing the server to freeze or become unresponsive. This type of attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which covers the use of resource exhaustion attacks to cause denial of service conditions in network services.
The mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust connection management protocols that include proper timeout mechanisms and connection cleanup procedures. System administrators should configure connection timeouts to automatically terminate inactive connections after a predetermined period, preventing resource accumulation. Additionally, implementing connection rate limiting can help prevent a single attacker from establishing an excessive number of connections simultaneously. The solution involves modifying the server's network handling code to properly monitor and manage connection lifecycles, ensuring that inactive connections are promptly terminated and system resources are freed. This approach addresses the underlying CWE-400 weakness by implementing proper resource management practices and prevents the exploitation pattern described in the vulnerability. Regular system monitoring should also be implemented to detect unusual connection patterns that may indicate an ongoing attack, allowing for proactive response measures to be implemented before the system becomes fully compromised.