CVE-2010-1804 in Time Capsule
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the network bridge functionality on the Apple Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme Base Station, and AirPort Express Base Station with firmware before 7.5.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (networking outage) via a crafted DHCP reply.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-1804 affects Apple's wireless networking infrastructure devices including the Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme Base Station, and AirPort Express Base Station. This issue resides within the network bridge functionality of these devices and represents a significant security flaw that can be exploited remotely to disrupt network operations. The vulnerability specifically impacts firmware versions prior to 7.5.2, indicating that Apple had not yet addressed this weakness in their earlier releases. The affected devices operate as wireless access points and network bridges, serving as critical components in home and small office networking environments where reliable connectivity is essential for business operations and personal use.
The technical flaw manifests through a weakness in how these devices process DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) replies within their network bridge implementation. When a malicious actor crafts a specially designed DHCP response packet, the vulnerable firmware fails to properly validate or handle this crafted data, leading to unexpected behavior in the device's networking stack. This improper handling results in the device's network bridge functionality becoming unstable or completely failing, ultimately causing a denial of service condition that affects network connectivity for all devices connected to the affected wireless infrastructure. The vulnerability operates at the network protocol level and demonstrates a classic buffer overflow or input validation weakness that can be triggered through network traffic manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple network disruption to potentially severe business consequences for organizations relying on these devices. When the network bridge functionality fails, all connected devices lose network connectivity, affecting productivity and potentially causing service interruptions that can last until the device is manually reset or the firmware is updated. This type of denial of service attack can be particularly damaging in environments where wireless connectivity is critical for operations, such as retail stores, healthcare facilities, or small office environments where employees depend on wireless network access for their daily tasks. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the devices, making the vulnerability particularly concerning for widespread exploitation.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a failure in input validation that allows crafted network packets to disrupt normal device operations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the T1499.004 technique for network denial of service, where adversaries leverage weaknesses in network infrastructure to create service outages. Organizations should immediately implement firmware updates to version 7.5.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the DHCP processing weakness. Network administrators should also consider implementing network monitoring to detect unusual DHCP traffic patterns and establish incident response procedures for addressing potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations may want to consider network segmentation strategies to limit the impact of such attacks and maintain backup connectivity solutions to ensure business continuity during potential service disruptions.