CVE-2008-2170 in router
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Century routers allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (dropped session) via crafted BGP UPDATE messages, leading to route flapping, possibly a related issue to CVE-2007-6372.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2170 represents a critical flaw in Century routers that enables remote attackers to induce denial of service conditions through the manipulation of Border Gateway Protocol UPDATE messages. This issue specifically targets the routing protocols that govern how internet traffic is directed between different networks, making it particularly dangerous for network infrastructure. The vulnerability manifests when the router receives crafted BGP UPDATE messages that trigger unexpected behavior, resulting in dropped network sessions and subsequent route flapping. Route flapping occurs when routing information rapidly changes between different paths, causing instability in network traffic routing and potentially creating complete service outages.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the BGP implementation of Century routers. When processing UPDATE messages, the affected devices fail to properly validate the structure and content of incoming routing information, allowing malicious actors to craft specially formatted messages that exploit implementation weaknesses in the routing protocol handling. This flaw falls under the category of insufficient input validation, which is classified as CWE-20 in the Common Weakness Enumeration taxonomy. The vulnerability specifically impacts the router's ability to maintain stable routing information and can be exploited without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered by anyone with network access to the affected router.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-2170 extends beyond simple service disruption, as the route flapping behavior can cause cascading failures throughout the network infrastructure. When routers begin dropping sessions and experiencing route instability, it affects not only the directly impacted device but can also propagate through interconnected networks, potentially causing widespread disruption to internet connectivity. Network administrators may observe symptoms including intermittent connectivity issues, increased latency, and routing table instability that can persist for extended periods. The vulnerability's relationship to CVE-2007-6372 indicates that this represents part of a broader family of BGP-related vulnerabilities affecting Century routers, suggesting that similar implementation weaknesses may exist within the same product line.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1498, which involves network denial of service attacks that disrupt services by manipulating network infrastructure. The attack vector requires minimal privileges and can be executed remotely, making it attractive to threat actors seeking to disrupt network services. Network defenders should consider implementing BGP monitoring and anomaly detection systems to identify unusual routing behavior that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in network protocol implementations and highlights the need for robust security testing of routing protocols. Organizations using Century routers should prioritize patch management and consider network segmentation strategies to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. The issue also underscores the necessity of implementing proper BGP security measures including route filtering and authentication mechanisms to protect against similar attacks on network infrastructure.