CVE-2007-4243 in Security Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in pfilter-reporter.pl in Astaro Security Gateway (ASG) 7 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via certain network traffic, as demonstrated by P2P and iTunes applications that download large amounts of data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-4243 affects the pfilter-reporter.pl component within Astaro Security Gateway version 7, representing a critical denial of service weakness that can be exploited remotely. This flaw resides in the network traffic processing logic of the security gateway's reporting functionality, specifically within the pfilter-reporter.pl script that handles packet filtering and reporting operations. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes certain types of network traffic patterns, particularly those associated with peer-to-peer file sharing and iTunes downloading activities that generate substantial data volumes.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the pfilter-reporter.pl script's inadequate handling of high-volume data streams, leading to excessive cpu consumption and eventual system resource exhaustion. When legitimate network traffic containing large data transfers passes through the affected security gateway, the reporting component fails to properly manage the processing load, causing continuous cpu spikes that can render the entire system unresponsive. This behavior aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes unchecked resource consumption as a fundamental weakness in software design that can lead to denial of service conditions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be triggered by common legitimate network activities rather than malicious payloads, making it difficult to distinguish between normal operations and attack vectors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the overall security posture of networks relying on Astaro Security Gateway 7. When the system becomes unresponsive due to excessive cpu utilization, network traffic is blocked or delayed, effectively creating a denial of service condition that can affect business operations and legitimate user access. Network administrators may experience difficulties in troubleshooting since the issue occurs during normal data transfer operations rather than during obvious attack scenarios, potentially masking other security concerns. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper resource management in security appliances, as the reporting functionality should not consume disproportionate system resources when processing legitimate network traffic patterns. This weakness can be exploited by attackers to perform low-cost denial of service attacks against network infrastructure, potentially disrupting critical services and affecting network availability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-4243 should focus on both immediate defensive measures and long-term architectural improvements. Organizations should implement rate limiting and traffic shaping policies to prevent any single connection or application from consuming excessive system resources, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1498 for resource exhaustion attacks. System administrators should also consider upgrading to patched versions of Astaro Security Gateway or implementing network segmentation to isolate vulnerable components. Monitoring and alerting systems should be enhanced to detect unusual cpu utilization patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, while also implementing proper logging of network traffic to identify the specific traffic patterns that trigger the vulnerability. The incident highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of reporting and logging components within security appliances, as these features are often overlooked during initial security assessments. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and resource consumption limits within the pfilter-reporter.pl script would prevent the exploitation of this vulnerability by ensuring that processing resources are allocated appropriately regardless of traffic volume.