CVE-2008-5563 in Aruba Mobility Controller
Summary
by MITRE
Aruba Mobility Controller 2.4.8.x-FIPS, 2.5.x, 3.1.x, 3.2.x, 3.3.1.x, and 3.3.2.x allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device crash) via a malformed Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) frame.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/02/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-5563 affects Aruba Mobility Controller software versions spanning multiple release branches including 2.4.8.x-FIPS, 2.5.x, 3.1.x, 3.2.x, 3.3.1.x, and 3.3.2.x. This represents a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to execute a denial of service attack against affected network infrastructure devices. The vulnerability specifically targets the Extensible Authentication Protocol implementation within the mobility controller software, which serves as a fundamental component for wireless network authentication and access control. The affected systems operate within enterprise wireless networking environments where mobility controllers manage multiple access points and user sessions, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations relying on Aruba's wireless infrastructure solutions.
The technical flaw manifests through improper handling of malformed EAP frames during the authentication process. When an attacker crafts and transmits specially constructed EAP frames to the vulnerable mobility controller, the device fails to properly validate or process these malformed packets. This processing error leads to a system crash or complete device failure, resulting in extended network downtime and disruption of wireless services for all connected users. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the EAP parser implementation, where the system does not adequately sanitize or reject malformed frame structures before attempting to process them. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input boundaries, and represents a classic example of buffer over-read or improper state handling in protocol processing components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass significant business continuity concerns for organizations utilizing Aruba wireless infrastructure. When the mobility controller crashes, all wireless services managed by that device become unavailable, potentially affecting thousands of users across enterprise networks, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, or retail environments. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter without requiring physical access or local network credentials. This characteristic makes the vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to disrupt operations or create chaos within targeted organizations. The attack vector demonstrates the importance of network segmentation and the need for robust monitoring of wireless infrastructure components that are exposed to external threats.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates to upgrade to patched versions of the Aruba Mobility Controller software. Network administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation strategies to limit the exposure of mobility controllers to external traffic and establish monitoring protocols to detect anomalous EAP frame patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched software in controlled environments before deployment to production systems to ensure compatibility with existing network configurations. Additionally, implementing intrusion detection systems capable of identifying malformed EAP frames and establishing incident response procedures for rapid deployment when such attacks are detected will help minimize the operational impact of potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining current security patches for network infrastructure components and demonstrates how seemingly minor protocol implementation flaws can result in significant operational disruptions.