CVE-2007-3443 in BlackBerry 7270
Summary
by MITRE
The Research in Motion BlackBerry 7270 before 4.0 SP1 Bundle 108 does not properly manage transaction states, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (temporary device hang) by sending a certain SIP INVITE message, but not providing an ACK when the call is answered.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/27/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-3443 affects the Research in Motion BlackBerry 7270 device running firmware versions prior to 4.0 SP1 Bundle 108, representing a critical flaw in session initiation protocol handling that demonstrates poor state management within the mobile communication stack. This issue resides in the device's SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) implementation where the system fails to properly maintain transaction states during call establishment processes, creating a condition that can be exploited remotely to disrupt normal device operation.
The technical flaw manifests when a malicious actor sends a SIP INVITE message to the vulnerable device and subsequently fails to send the required ACK message that acknowledges receipt of the INVITE. This creates a state inconsistency in the device's SIP transaction handling mechanism where the system remains in a transitional state waiting for the expected ACK message. The BlackBerry device's protocol stack does not implement proper timeout mechanisms or state recovery procedures to handle this scenario, leading to the device becoming unresponsive or temporarily hanging during the call setup process.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute a denial of service attack against targeted BlackBerry devices without requiring any authentication or physical access to the device. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it can be initiated over the airwaves, making it accessible to adversaries with minimal technical expertise. The temporary device hang that results from this vulnerability effectively renders the device unusable for communication purposes until manual intervention or device reboot occurs, disrupting business continuity and potentially compromising mission-critical communications in enterprise environments.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-1217 which addresses improper handling of protocol transactions and state management failures in network protocols, while also demonstrating characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 related to network disruption attacks. Organizations utilizing BlackBerry 7270 devices in production environments should prioritize immediate firmware updates to 4.0 SP1 Bundle 108 or later versions that contain proper state management corrections. Additionally, network administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous SIP traffic patterns and consider deploying network segmentation strategies to limit potential attack surfaces. The incident underscores the importance of robust state management in mobile communication protocols and highlights the necessity of comprehensive security testing for enterprise mobile devices before deployment in critical business environments.