CVE-2008-1245 in F5D7230-4
Summary
by MITRE
cgi-bin/setup_virtualserver.exe on the Belkin F5D7230-4 router with firmware 9.01.10 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (control center outage) via an HTTP request with invalid POST data and a "Connection: Keep-Alive" header.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1245 affects the Belkin F5D7230-4 wireless router running firmware version 9.01.10 and specifically targets the cgi-bin/setup_virtualserver.exe component. This represents a critical denial of service weakness that can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring authentication or privileged access. The flaw manifests when the router processes HTTP requests containing malformed POST data combined with a "Connection: Keep-Alive" header, leading to a complete control center outage that renders the device inaccessible to legitimate users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the router's web interface processing logic. When the setup_virtualserver.exe script receives an HTTP request with invalid POST data, it fails to properly sanitize or validate the incoming parameters, causing the application to crash or enter an unstable state. The specific combination of invalid POST data and the Keep-Alive header creates a condition where the router's HTTP daemon becomes unresponsive, effectively taking the entire device offline. This behavior aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of array indices and other input validation weaknesses that can lead to denial of service conditions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to network availability and business continuity. The control center outage affects not only the router's management interface but can also disrupt network services if the device serves as a primary gateway or firewall. Attackers can exploit this weakness to repeatedly cause service disruptions, potentially leading to extended network downtime that impacts productivity and customer service. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers can trigger the denial of service from anywhere on the internet, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where network infrastructure security is paramount.
The attack vector for this vulnerability is straightforward and can be executed through simple HTTP request manipulation. An attacker needs only to send a crafted HTTP POST request to the affected router's web interface, making this exploit accessible to even novice threat actors. The Keep-Alive header is commonly used in legitimate web traffic, which makes this attack harder to detect through simple network monitoring. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks targeting network infrastructure components. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit exposure, deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious HTTP traffic patterns, and ensure firmware updates are applied promptly to address known vulnerabilities. The remediation approach requires updating the router firmware to a version that properly validates incoming HTTP requests and implements robust error handling for malformed data inputs.