CVE-2007-20001 in iSCSI SAN
Summary
by MITRE • 02/07/2022
StarWind iSCSI SAN before 3.5 build 2007-08-09 allows socket exhaustion.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/11/2022
The StarWind iSCSI SAN software vulnerability CVE-2007-20001 represents a critical resource exhaustion issue that affects versions prior to 3.5 build 2007-08-09. This vulnerability manifests as a socket exhaustion condition that can severely impact the availability and performance of iSCSI storage networks. The flaw occurs within the software's handling of network connections, where insufficient resource management leads to the depletion of available socket connections that are essential for maintaining iSCSI sessions between initiators and targets. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where iSCSI storage arrays handle numerous concurrent connections from multiple hosts, making the system increasingly susceptible to denial of service conditions. The issue stems from inadequate connection lifecycle management and failure to properly release network resources when connections are terminated or become inactive, creating a scenario where legitimate connection requests cannot be processed due to resource constraints.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability operates at the network protocol level within the iSCSI implementation, specifically affecting the TCP socket management mechanisms used by StarWind's storage software. The flaw enables attackers or malicious actors to consume all available socket resources through repeated connection attempts or by maintaining connections in a state that prevents proper cleanup. This socket exhaustion can be achieved through various methods including connection flooding, establishing connections without proper termination, or exploiting the software's failure to implement proper connection timeouts and resource reclamation. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes improper resource management as a fundamental weakness in software design that leads to resource exhaustion conditions. The attack surface is particularly wide given that iSCSI implementations typically require multiple concurrent connections for normal operation, making the resource exhaustion scenario more likely to occur during sustained attack conditions or even through accidental misconfiguration.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, potentially causing cascading failures within storage infrastructure and disrupting critical business operations. When socket exhaustion occurs, legitimate storage I/O operations may fail or experience severe performance degradation as the system cannot establish new connections or maintain existing ones. This can result in application timeouts, data access failures, and complete loss of storage connectivity for connected hosts. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in high-availability environments where storage systems must maintain continuous operation, as the socket exhaustion can lead to automatic failover processes that may not function properly when system resources are constrained. Network monitoring systems may also become overwhelmed or fail to report accurate connection status, complicating troubleshooting efforts and potentially masking the true nature of the underlying issue. Organizations using StarWind iSCSI SAN solutions in production environments face significant risk of service disruption and data availability issues if this vulnerability remains unpatched.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-20001 should focus on immediate patching and configuration hardening to address the root cause of socket resource exhaustion. The primary solution involves upgrading to StarWind iSCSI SAN version 3.5 build 2007-08-09 or later, which includes proper resource management and connection cleanup mechanisms. System administrators should also implement connection limiting measures, establish appropriate timeout values for inactive connections, and monitor socket usage patterns to detect abnormal resource consumption. Network-level mitigations include implementing connection rate limiting at firewalls or load balancers to prevent connection flooding attacks from overwhelming the system. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of implementing proper resource management practices in network services, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which covers network disruption attacks that exploit resource exhaustion vulnerabilities. Organizations should also establish monitoring protocols that track connection counts and resource utilization to provide early warning of potential socket exhaustion conditions. Additionally, implementing connection pooling and proper connection lifecycle management within the storage infrastructure can help prevent the accumulation of stale connections that contribute to resource depletion. Security teams should conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar resource management flaws in other network services and storage implementations that may present comparable risks to system availability and operational integrity.