CVE-2005-3673 in Firewall-1
Summary
by MITRE
The Internet Key Exchange version 1 (IKEv1) implementation in Check Point products allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via certain crafted IKE packets, as demonstrated by the PROTOS ISAKMP Test Suite for IKEv1. NOTE: due to the lack of details in the advisory, it is unclear which of CVE-2005-3666, CVE-2005-3667, and/or CVE-2005-3668 this issue applies to.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-3673 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the Internet Key Exchange version 1 implementation found in Check Point security products. This issue specifically targets the IKEv1 protocol which serves as the foundation for establishing secure communications in IPsec networks, making it a particularly dangerous weakness in enterprise security infrastructure. The vulnerability manifests when the Check Point implementation fails to properly handle certain crafted IKE packets, leading to system instability and potential complete service interruption. The attack vector is entirely remote, allowing adversaries to exploit this weakness without requiring physical access or authentication credentials, which significantly increases the threat surface and potential impact.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the IKEv1 processing logic of Check Point products. When the system receives specially crafted IKE packets containing malformed or unexpected data structures, the implementation fails to properly parse or handle these packets, resulting in system crashes or resource exhaustion. This type of flaw typically falls under CWE-129, which encompasses issues related to improper validation of input boundaries, and may also align with CWE-400, covering improper handling of resources that could lead to denial of service conditions. The vulnerability's exploitation is demonstrated through the PROTOS ISAKMP Test Suite for IKEv1, which provides a standardized method for testing IKEv1 implementations against various attack scenarios and protocol compliance issues.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Check Point security appliances for their IPsec VPN and secure network communications. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can potentially disrupt critical network infrastructure from anywhere on the internet, causing service outages that could impact business continuity and secure communications. Organizations using affected Check Point products may experience complete denial of service for their IPsec tunnels, rendering their security infrastructure ineffective during critical periods. The vulnerability's classification as a denial of service issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499, which covers network denial of service attacks that compromise availability of systems and services.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the overall security posture of affected organizations. When security appliances become unavailable due to this denial of service condition, network traffic may be forced through alternative paths or may become completely unsecured, creating additional attack vectors for malicious actors. The lack of detailed information in the original advisory regarding the relationship to CVE-2005-3666, CVE-2005-3667, and CVE-2005-3668 highlights the complexity of vulnerability identification and the challenges faced by security researchers in correlating similar issues across different product lines and implementations. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation, monitoring for suspicious IKE traffic patterns, and applying vendor patches as soon as they become available to protect against this specific denial of service vulnerability in their Check Point security infrastructure.