CVE-2006-2213 in Hostapd
Summary
by MITRE
Hostapd 0.3.7-2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (segmentation fault) via an unspecified value in the key_data_length field of an EAPoL frame.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-2213 affects hostapd version 0.3.7-2, a widely used access point daemon that implements IEEE 802.11 authentication and key management. This issue represents a classic buffer overflow condition that occurs during the processing of Extensible Authentication Protocol over LAN (EAPoL) frames, specifically when handling the key_data_length field. The flaw demonstrates a critical weakness in input validation and memory management within the wireless access point authentication framework, potentially compromising network availability and integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking within the EAPoL frame processing logic. When hostapd receives an EAPoL frame containing an malformed key_data_length value, the daemon fails to properly validate this parameter before using it to allocate memory or process data structures. This oversight creates a condition where a specially crafted malicious frame can trigger a segmentation fault, causing the hostapd process to crash and terminate unexpectedly. The vulnerability operates at the protocol level, specifically targeting the IEEE 802.11i standard implementation within the wireless access point infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise and public wireless network environments where uninterrupted service is critical.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it enables remote attackers to perform denial of service attacks against wireless networks without requiring authentication or privileged access. Network administrators face the risk of unauthorized service interruption, potentially affecting hundreds or thousands of wireless clients depending on the scale of the affected infrastructure. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it can be executed from remote locations, making it difficult to detect and mitigate. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001, which covers network denial of service attacks. The exploitation of this flaw can result in significant operational disruption, requiring immediate patching and potentially leading to extended service outages while network security teams investigate and remediate the affected systems.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating hostapd to versions that address this vulnerability, typically those released after 2006. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous EAPoL frame patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The implementation of proper input validation mechanisms and bounds checking within wireless access point implementations should be prioritized to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future deployments. Additionally, regular security assessments of wireless infrastructure components and maintaining updated security patches across all network devices will help prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities that may exist in other components of the wireless network stack.