CVE-2008-2173 in router
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Yamaha 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-2008-2173 represents a critical flaw in Yamaha router implementations that enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks through manipulation of Border Gateway Protocol UPDATE messages. This weakness falls under the broader category of protocol implementation vulnerabilities that can severely impact network infrastructure reliability and availability. The vulnerability specifically affects the handling of BGP UPDATE messages, which are fundamental components of exterior gateway protocol operations used to exchange routing information between different autonomous systems on the internet. When malformed or crafted BGP UPDATE messages are received by affected Yamaha routers, they trigger unexpected behavior that results in session drops and subsequent routing instability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the BGP implementation of Yamaha routers. The flaw manifests when the router processes malformed BGP UPDATE messages that contain unexpected or maliciously constructed attributes, causing the routing process to terminate or become unstable. This behavior directly relates to CWE-129, which addresses insufficient input validation, and CWE-248, concerning unspecified other errors in input handling. The vulnerability creates a condition where legitimate routing operations are disrupted, leading to route flapping phenomena where routes oscillate between available and unavailable states. Route flapping represents a particularly dangerous condition in network infrastructure as it causes frequent changes in routing tables and can lead to significant performance degradation across the affected network segments.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to network stability and availability. The denial of service condition caused by dropped sessions can result in complete loss of connectivity for affected network segments, particularly in environments where Yamaha routers serve as critical components in large-scale network infrastructures. The route flapping behavior complicates network management and can trigger automated alerting systems, consuming valuable administrative resources during critical network events. Network operators may experience extended periods of routing instability as the system attempts to recover from the malformed message impacts, potentially affecting multiple services that depend on stable routing information. The vulnerability's relationship to CVE-2007-6372 suggests a pattern of similar BGP implementation weaknesses that may affect other vendors' products, indicating a broader class of issues within the routing protocol implementation landscape.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-2173 should focus on implementing robust BGP message filtering and validation mechanisms at network boundaries. Network administrators should deploy BGP route filtering policies that can identify and drop malformed UPDATE messages before they reach vulnerable router implementations. The implementation of BGP monitoring and alerting systems can help detect anomalous routing behavior indicative of this vulnerability being exploited. Organizations should also consider implementing BGP security measures such as BGPsec or route origin validation to add additional layers of protection against malformed routing information. According to ATT&CK framework category T1498, this vulnerability aligns with network denial of service tactics that target infrastructure reliability. Regular firmware updates and patches from Yamaha should be implemented promptly to address the underlying implementation flaws. Network segmentation strategies can help limit the scope of impact if exploitation occurs, while maintaining redundant routing paths ensures continued service availability during remediation efforts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of robust protocol implementation practices and the need for comprehensive security testing of network infrastructure components before deployment in production environments.