CVE-2005-4587 in Netscreen-Security Manager 2004
Summary
by MITRE
Juniper NetScreen-Security Manager (NSM) 2004 FP2 and FP3 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash or hang of server components that are automatically restarted) via a long crafted string on (1) port 7800 (the GUI Server port) or (2) port 7801 (the Device Server port).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-4587 affects Juniper NetScreen-Security Manager (NSM) versions 2004 FP2 and FP3, representing a critical denial of service flaw that compromises the availability of network security infrastructure. This vulnerability specifically targets the GUI Server port 7800 and Device Server port 7801, which are fundamental components of the NSM architecture responsible for managing and configuring security policies across Juniper firewalls. The flaw arises from insufficient input validation mechanisms within these server components, creating a condition where malformed or excessively long string inputs can trigger system instability. The vulnerability falls under CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input length, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.1 for network denial of service attacks. The affected NSM versions represent a significant security gap in the Juniper security management platform, as these components handle critical administrative functions for firewall configurations and security policy enforcement.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic buffer overflow condition where the server components fail to properly validate string length parameters received through network connections. When an attacker sends a crafted string exceeding the expected buffer capacity to either port 7800 or 7801, the system processes the input without adequate bounds checking, leading to memory corruption and subsequent system crashes. The automatic restart mechanism of the affected server components creates a particularly concerning scenario where the denial of service becomes self-replicating, as the system attempts to recover from each crash by restarting the compromised services. This behavior aligns with ATT&CK tactic TA0040 (impact) and technique T1499.2 for service stoppage, where the system's recovery mechanisms inadvertently perpetuate the attack by continuously restarting the vulnerable components. The vulnerability exploits the fundamental lack of input sanitization in the NSM's communication protocols, particularly affecting the GUI Server which handles web-based administrative interfaces and the Device Server which manages direct device communication.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-4587 extends beyond simple service disruption to compromise the overall security posture of organizations relying on Juniper NSM for network security management. When the server components crash and restart automatically, administrators lose access to critical security configuration capabilities, potentially leaving networks vulnerable during the recovery period while the system attempts to restart services. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where NSM serves as the central management platform for multiple firewalls, creating cascading effects that can disrupt security policy enforcement across the entire network infrastructure. The automatic restart behavior, while designed to provide system resilience, actually transforms a simple denial of service into a persistent disruption that can exhaust system resources and potentially impact other network services. Organizations utilizing affected NSM versions face the risk of prolonged service interruptions that could compromise their ability to respond to actual security incidents during the recovery phases.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2005-4587 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from Juniper, as the vendor released security updates specifically addressing this vulnerability in subsequent NSM releases. Network administrators should implement strict access controls and firewall rules to restrict access to ports 7800 and 7801, limiting exposure to trusted administrative networks only. The implementation of network monitoring solutions that can detect unusual traffic patterns or malformed string inputs on these ports provides additional defense-in-depth measures. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems with signature-based detection capabilities specifically targeting this vulnerability pattern. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of the affected NSM versions within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and bounds checking in security-critical applications, aligning with industry best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST Special Publication 800-125 for secure software development practices. Additionally, implementing network segmentation to isolate NSM management interfaces from general network traffic reduces the attack surface and limits the potential impact of such vulnerabilities.