CVE-2009-1158 in PIX
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability on Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) 5500 Series devices 7.0 before 7.0(8)6, 7.1 before 7.1(2)82, 7.2 before 7.2(4)26, 8.0 before 8.0(4)24, and 8.1 before 8.1(2)14, when H.323 inspection is enabled, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reload) via a crafted H.323 packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/01/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-1158 represents a critical denial of service flaw affecting Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances running specific versions of the ASA software. This weakness manifests when the H.323 protocol inspection feature is enabled on 5500 Series devices, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to disrupt network operations. The affected software versions span across multiple release branches including 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 8.0, and 8.1, indicating a widespread impact across the ASA platform's evolutionary timeline. The vulnerability specifically targets the processing of H.323 packets, which are commonly used in voice over IP communications for call setup and control signaling, making it particularly concerning for organizations relying on unified communications infrastructure.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling within the H.323 inspection module of the ASA software. When a maliciously crafted H.323 packet is processed by the device, the inspection engine fails to properly handle the malformed data, leading to a condition that causes the ASA appliance to crash and subsequently reload its operating system. This behavior aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of input boundaries, and represents a classic example of a buffer overflow or memory corruption vulnerability that can be triggered through protocol inspection mechanisms. The flaw demonstrates how network security devices can become vulnerable to exploitation when they attempt to process malformed or unexpected protocol data without proper sanitization measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as the device reload process can result in significant network downtime and potential loss of security posture. Organizations relying on ASA appliances for network protection may experience complete service interruption during the reload process, potentially leaving their networks exposed to other threats during the recovery period. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter without requiring physical access or authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous for perimeter security devices. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability aspect of the CIA triad and can be classified under ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which involves network disruption attacks targeting availability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-1158 primarily focus on immediate software updates and configuration changes to prevent exploitation. Organizations should prioritize upgrading their ASA devices to the patched versions specified in the CVE advisory, specifically versions 7.0(8)6, 7.1(2)82, 7.2(4)26, 8.0(4)24, and 8.1(2)14. When immediate upgrades are not feasible, administrators can disable the H.323 inspection feature entirely, though this may impact legitimate voice communications. Network segmentation and access control measures can also provide additional protection by limiting the attack surface and preventing unauthorized access to the vulnerable devices. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining current security patches and the critical need for proper input validation in network security appliances that process external protocol data.