CVE-2010-1675 in Quagga
Summary
by MITRE
bgpd in Quagga before 0.99.18 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (session reset) via a malformed AS_PATHLIMIT path attribute.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-1675 affects the bgpd component within Quagga routing software, specifically targeting versions prior to 0.99.18. This issue represents a significant security concern within Border Gateway Protocol implementations, where the bgpd daemon serves as the core component responsible for managing exterior gateway protocol sessions and routing information exchange between autonomous systems. The flaw manifests as a denial of service condition that can be triggered remotely, potentially disrupting network connectivity and routing stability across affected networks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of the AS_PATHLIMIT path attribute within BGP updates. When a malicious actor sends a malformed AS_PATHLIMIT attribute to a vulnerable Quagga bgpd process, the software fails to properly validate the attribute structure, leading to an unexpected session reset. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation, which is commonly classified as CWE-20 - Improper Input Validation, and represents a classic example of how malformed data processing can lead to service disruption. The vulnerability specifically targets the path attribute parsing mechanism within the BGP protocol implementation, where the system does not adequately sanitize or verify the format and content of the AS_PATHLIMIT attribute before processing it.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service interruption, as it can potentially cause cascading effects within BGP routing tables and network stability. When a bgpd session resets due to this flaw, it can trigger route flapping and instability in the routing domain, particularly affecting networks that rely heavily on BGP for inter-domain routing. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter without requiring authentication or privileged access, making it particularly dangerous for network infrastructure providers and service providers who must maintain high availability and reliability of their routing services. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability aspect of the CIA triad and can be categorized under the ATT&CK technique T1499.004 - Endpoint Denial of Service, which specifically addresses attacks that target network infrastructure components to disrupt service availability.
Network administrators and security professionals should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to Quagga version 0.99.18 or later, which includes proper validation of AS_PATHLIMIT attributes. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of vulnerable bgpd processes to untrusted networks can provide temporary mitigation. Monitoring for unusual BGP attribute patterns and implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify malformed BGP updates will help detect exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of regular security updates and patch management for critical network infrastructure components, as this issue could have been prevented through timely software maintenance and security hygiene practices. Organizations should consider implementing BGP monitoring tools that can detect and alert on abnormal session resets or routing instability that may indicate exploitation of this or similar vulnerabilities.