CVE-2010-1581 in ASA
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the Transport Layer Security (TLS) implementation on Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) 5500 series devices with software 7.2 before 7.2(5), 8.0 before 8.0(5.15), 8.1 before 8.1(2.44), 8.2 before 8.2(2.17), and 8.3 before 8.3(1.6) and Cisco PIX Security Appliances 500 series devices allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reload) via a sequence of crafted TLS packets, aka Bug ID CSCtd32627.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-1581 represents a critical denial of service weakness within the TLS implementation of Cisco ASA and PIX security appliances. This flaw affects a range of Cisco security devices including the 5500 series ASA appliances and 500 series PIX appliances, specifically targeting software versions that were prevalent during the early 2010s. The vulnerability manifests through a sequence of specially crafted TLS packets that can trigger a complete device reload, effectively rendering the security appliance unavailable to protect network traffic. This represents a significant operational risk for organizations relying on these devices for network security enforcement, as the attack can be executed remotely without requiring authentication or specialized access privileges.
The technical nature of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of TLS protocol negotiations within the Cisco ASA and PIX software implementations. When these devices receive a sequence of crafted TLS packets, the processing logic fails to properly validate or handle the malformed data, leading to an unexpected system state that results in device reboot. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-248, which describes an "Uncaught Exception" condition where an exception is thrown by a program but not properly caught, leading to system instability. The flaw demonstrates poor input validation and error handling mechanisms within the TLS processing stack of these security appliances, where the system does not adequately sanitize incoming TLS handshake sequences.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise network security posture and availability. Organizations using affected Cisco appliances could experience unavailability of their security infrastructure during attack execution, creating potential windows for other attacks or network intrusions. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on these devices for perimeter protection. The vulnerability affects multiple software versions across different device series, indicating a widespread issue within Cisco's TLS implementation that required coordinated patching across various product lines and software releases.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate deployment of Cisco's security patches and updates for the affected software versions, as well as implementation of network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Network administrators should consider implementing rate limiting or connection filtering rules that can help identify and block suspicious TLS packet sequences. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1499.004, which describes "Endpoint Denial of Service" where adversaries target system resources to prevent normal operation. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can monitor for unusual TLS handshake patterns and device reload events, as well as maintaining comprehensive incident response procedures that account for potential exploitation of such denial of service vulnerabilities.