CVE-2007-0933 in DWL
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the wireless driver 6.0.0.18 for D-Link DWL-G650+ (Rev. A1) on Windows XP allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a beacon frame with a long TIM Information Element.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-0933 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the wireless network driver component of D-Link DWL-G650+ access point devices running firmware version 6.0.0.18 on Windows XP operating systems. This security weakness specifically targets the handling of beacon frames within the wireless communication protocol stack, where the driver fails to properly validate the length of the TIM Information Element field. The TIM Information Element is a standard component within IEEE 802.11 beacon frames that contains timing information for power management in wireless networks, and when malformed or excessively long, it triggers the buffer overflow condition in the vulnerable driver implementation.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker crafts a specially formatted beacon frame containing an oversized TIM Information Element that exceeds the allocated buffer space within the driver's memory management structure. This condition falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow vulnerabilities, and more specifically aligns with CWE-125, representing out-of-bounds read conditions that can lead to memory corruption. The flaw manifests through improper input validation and insufficient bounds checking mechanisms within the wireless driver's frame parsing routine, which processes incoming beacon frames without adequate protection against malformed data sequences.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant threat to wireless network availability and security integrity, as it enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks that can crash the affected wireless access point and potentially compromise the entire network infrastructure. The potential for arbitrary code execution adds an additional layer of risk, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to the device's operating system and potentially use it as a foothold for further network infiltration. The attack vector is particularly concerning since it requires no authentication or physical access to the device, making it vulnerable to exploitation from any location within wireless range of the affected access point. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and script interpreter, and T1498 for network denial of service, as it enables both system compromise and service disruption.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security posture improvements. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to patched firmware versions provided by D-Link, as the vendor likely released updates to correct the buffer overflow condition in their wireless driver implementation. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect anomalous beacon frame traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include disabling unnecessary wireless services, implementing robust network access controls, and deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify malformed beacon frames. The vulnerability underscores the importance of regular firmware updates and proper input validation in embedded network devices, particularly those handling wireless communication protocols where malformed data can have cascading effects on system stability and security. Organizations should also consider implementing wireless intrusion prevention systems and maintaining comprehensive network monitoring to detect and respond to similar buffer overflow vulnerabilities in other wireless infrastructure components.