CVE-2005-3915 in Security Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
The Internet Key Exchange version 1 (IKEv1) implementation in Clavister Client Web allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via 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.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/24/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-3915 represents a critical security flaw within the Internet Key Exchange version 1 implementation found in Clavister Client Web software. This issue specifically targets the IKEv1 protocol which serves as a fundamental component of IPsec VPN implementations, establishing secure communication channels between network entities. The vulnerability manifests through improper handling of crafted IKE packets that can be transmitted across networks, potentially compromising the integrity and availability of security infrastructure. The flaw exists within the processing logic of the IKEv1 implementation, where insufficient input validation and error handling mechanisms allow maliciously constructed packets to trigger unexpected behavior in the affected system.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers send specially crafted IKE packets to the target system, which then processes these malformed packets without adequate sanitization. This processing failure can lead to buffer overflows, memory corruption, or other exploitable conditions that may result in system crashes or potentially allow arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because IKEv1 is a core protocol for establishing secure connections in enterprise networks, making the affected Clavister Client Web implementation a prime target for attackers seeking to disrupt network security services. The PROTOS ISAKMP Test Suite for IKEv1 demonstrates the exploitability of this weakness by providing specific packet structures that trigger the vulnerable code paths within the IKEv1 implementation.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on Clavister's VPN solutions, as it can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication credentials. The potential for denial of service attacks means that legitimate users could be denied access to critical network resources, while the arbitrary code execution capability could allow attackers to gain persistent access to the affected systems. The lack of detailed information in the original advisory makes it challenging to determine the exact scope of impact, but the vulnerability's classification as affecting core IKEv1 functionality suggests it could impact a wide range of network security deployments. This weakness directly affects the availability and integrity of IPsec-based security services, potentially compromising the entire network infrastructure that depends on secure key exchange mechanisms.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of Clavister Client Web software, implementing network segmentation to limit exposure, and monitoring for suspicious IKE traffic patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and may also relate to CWE-122 for heap-based buffer overflows. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the T1071.004 technique for application layer protocol usage, and could enable T1498 for network denial of service attacks. Network administrators should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems capable of identifying and blocking malformed IKE packets, while ensuring that all network security devices are updated with the latest security patches to prevent exploitation of this and related vulnerabilities in the IKEv1 protocol implementation.