CVE-2007-2829 in MadWifi
Summary
by MITRE
The 802.11 network stack in net80211/ieee80211_input.c in MadWifi before 0.9.3.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (system hang) via a crafted length field in nested 802.3 Ethernet frames in Fast Frame packets, which results in a NULL pointer dereference.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-2829 represents a critical denial of service flaw within the MadWifi wireless networking stack implementation. This issue affects the net80211/ieee80211_input.c component of the MadWifi software suite, which provides 802.11 wireless networking support for various operating systems. The vulnerability specifically targets the processing of Fast Frame packets that contain nested 802.3 Ethernet frames, creating a scenario where a remote attacker can exploit the system's handling of malformed length fields to trigger a system hang condition.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in improper input validation within the wireless network stack's frame processing logic. When the MadWifi driver encounters Fast Frame packets containing nested 802.3 Ethernet frames with crafted length values, the system fails to properly validate these fields before attempting to process them. This leads to a NULL pointer dereference condition in the ieee80211_input.c file, which occurs during the frame parsing process. The flaw manifests when the driver attempts to access memory locations that have not been properly initialized or allocated, resulting in the system becoming unresponsive rather than simply crashing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the entire network infrastructure. A remote attacker capable of transmitting specially crafted wireless frames can force wireless access points, routers, or client devices running affected versions of MadWifi to enter a non-responsive state, effectively rendering the wireless network unavailable to legitimate users. This type of denial of service attack can be particularly damaging in enterprise environments where wireless connectivity is critical for business operations, as it can disrupt communications, access control systems, and various network-dependent services. The vulnerability affects all systems using MadWifi versions prior to 0.9.3.1, making it a widespread concern for organizations relying on this wireless networking stack.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-476 which describes NULL pointer dereference conditions, and represents a classic example of insufficient input validation in network protocol implementations. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires only remote wireless access to exploit, making it accessible to attackers within the wireless network coverage area. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to MadWifi version 0.9.3.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to prevent the NULL pointer dereference. Network administrators should also consider implementing wireless intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on anomalous frame patterns, and may want to deploy additional network segmentation measures to limit the potential impact of such attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in network protocol stacks and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of wireless networking components.