CVE-2008-3816 in PIX
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) 5500 Series and PIX Security Appliances 7.2(4)9 and 7.2(4)10 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reload) via a crafted IPv6 packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-3816 represents a critical denial of service weakness affecting Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) 5500 Series and PIX Security Appliances running specific software versions. This flaw manifests through the processing of malformed IPv6 packets, which can trigger unexpected device behavior leading to complete system reloads. The vulnerability exists within the network security appliance firmware where insufficient input validation occurs during IPv6 packet handling, creating a pathway for remote exploitation without requiring authentication credentials. The affected versions include ASA 5500 Series and PIX Security Appliances with software releases 7.2(4)9 and 7.2(4)10, indicating this was a targeted issue within a specific software lineage that required careful monitoring and patching across enterprise network security infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate packet validation mechanisms within the IPv6 processing stack of Cisco security appliances. When a specially crafted IPv6 packet is received by the affected device, the appliance fails to properly handle the malformed packet structure, causing memory corruption or execution flow disruption. This processing error results in an abrupt system restart or reload, effectively rendering the security appliance unavailable to protect network traffic. The vulnerability operates at the network protocol level and demonstrates a classic example of input validation failure that can be exploited remotely, making it particularly dangerous in network security contexts where appliance availability is critical for maintaining network defenses. The flaw likely resides within the IPv6 packet parsing routines and could be classified under CWE-129 Input Validation, specifically related to insufficient validation of IPv6 packet structures.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-3816 extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass complete network security infrastructure compromise. Organizations relying on affected Cisco appliances face potential network outages that could last from minutes to hours depending on recovery procedures and manual intervention requirements. During the device reload process, network traffic flows are disrupted, potentially exposing network segments to unauthorized access or bypassing security controls that would normally be enforced by the appliance. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability aspect of the CIA triad and can be leveraged by attackers to perform network disruption attacks that may mask other malicious activities. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this weakness from outside the network perimeter, making it particularly concerning for organizations that deploy these appliances at network boundaries where they are most vulnerable to external threats.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-3816 require immediate implementation of software updates and patches provided by Cisco to address the IPv6 packet handling vulnerability. Organizations should prioritize upgrading affected appliances to versions that contain the necessary fixes, typically released as part of Cisco's regular security advisory process. Network administrators should also consider implementing temporary network segmentation or access control measures to limit exposure while patches are deployed. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security appliance firmware and highlights the need for comprehensive vulnerability management programs. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques involving denial of service and system compromise, and organizations should monitor for potential exploitation attempts that may be part of broader attack campaigns. Security teams should also implement network monitoring to detect unusual traffic patterns or device behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts, ensuring that the patching process is completed across all affected network security infrastructure to maintain consistent protection levels.