CVE-2005-3668 in Internet Key Exchange
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple buffer overflows in multiple unspecified implementations of Internet Key Exchange version 1 (IKEv1) have multiple unspecified attack vectors and impacts related to denial of service, as demonstrated by the PROTOS ISAKMP Test Suite for IKEv1. NOTE: due to the lack of information in the original sources, it is likely that this candidate will be REJECTed once it is known which implementations are actually vulnerable.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-3668 represents a critical security flaw affecting Internet Key Exchange version 1 implementations across multiple vendors and platforms. This issue manifests as multiple buffer overflows within IKEv1 protocol implementations, which are fundamental components of IPsec security frameworks used to establish secure communications between network entities. The vulnerability specifically impacts the initial phase of IKE negotiation where security associations are established, making it particularly dangerous as it can compromise the entire key exchange process. The PROTOS ISAKMP Test Suite for IKEv1 demonstrated this vulnerability, indicating that the flaw exists in how implementations handle certain message structures during the authentication and key agreement phases of the protocol.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within IKEv1 implementations where buffer overflow conditions occur when processing malformed or oversized IKE messages. These buffer overflows can be triggered through carefully crafted packets that exceed expected buffer sizes in various protocol fields including identity information, authentication data, and cryptographic parameters. The unspecified attack vectors suggest that different implementations may be vulnerable to similar overflow conditions through different code paths, making the vulnerability particularly challenging to address comprehensively. The lack of detailed implementation information in the original sources indicates that this vulnerability affects multiple vendors' products, potentially including Cisco, Microsoft, and various third-party implementations that have since been deprecated or replaced by IKEv2.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-3668 primarily manifests as denial of service conditions that can render affected systems completely inaccessible to legitimate users. When buffer overflows occur during IKEv1 processing, they typically cause system crashes, application hangs, or memory corruption that prevents the system from properly handling subsequent IKE negotiations. This denial of service can be particularly devastating in network infrastructure devices such as firewalls, routers, and VPN gateways that rely heavily on IKEv1 for secure communications. The vulnerability can also potentially enable remote code execution in some implementations, though this was not definitively confirmed in the original reporting. The attack vectors are particularly concerning because they can be exploited without requiring authentication, making them suitable for large-scale network disruption attacks.
Security practitioners should consider implementing mitigations such as network segmentation to isolate vulnerable systems, deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious IKE traffic patterns, and applying vendor-specific patches or workarounds as they become available. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121 and CWE-122 categories related to stack-based and heap-based buffer overflows, respectively, and represents a classic example of how protocol implementation flaws can create widespread security risks. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability would map to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage and potentially T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to IKEv2 implementations where possible, as IKEv2 includes better buffer management and security features that address many of the weaknesses present in IKEv1. The vulnerability's classification as potentially rejectable reflects the difficulty in providing comprehensive remediation guidance without detailed information about affected implementations, highlighting the importance of vendor transparency in vulnerability reporting.