CVE-2010-2529 in iputils
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in ping.c in iputils 20020927, 20070202, 20071127, and 20100214 on Mandriva Linux allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (hang) via a crafted echo response.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2529 represents a denial of service flaw within the ping utility implementation in iputils package versions dating back to 20020927 through 20100214. This issue specifically affects Mandriva Linux systems and manifests in the ping.c source file where an unspecified condition allows remote attackers to trigger a system hang. The flaw resides in how the ping utility processes incoming echo responses, creating a scenario where maliciously crafted network packets can cause the utility to become unresponsive and consume system resources indefinitely.
This vulnerability operates at the network protocol level within the Internet Control Message Protocol implementation, specifically targeting the echo reply processing mechanism that forms the core functionality of the ping utility. The technical root cause involves improper handling of malformed or specially crafted echo responses that the ping utility receives from network hosts. When processing such responses, the utility enters an infinite loop or becomes trapped in a condition where it cannot properly terminate its execution cycle, leading to the system hang condition that constitutes the denial of service.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to network infrastructure management and system availability. Network administrators who rely on ping utilities for monitoring network connectivity and system health face potential disruption when attackers exploit this flaw. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption as the hang condition can affect system resources and potentially cascade into broader network management issues. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires minimal attacker sophistication to exploit, making it a preferred target for network disruption campaigns.
The attack vector for this vulnerability operates through network-based communication where remote hosts can send specially crafted echo replies to systems running vulnerable versions of iputils. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service and maps to CWE-674 which describes uncontrolled recursion or infinite loops in software. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation and error handling practices within the ping utility implementation, where the software fails to properly sanitize or reject malformed network responses that could cause it to enter unintended execution paths.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-2529 require immediate system updates to patched versions of iputils or manual code modifications to address the specific handling of echo responses. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potentially malicious sources. System administrators should consider disabling ping functionality when not required for network management or implementing additional monitoring to detect hanging processes. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date network utilities and demonstrates how seemingly simple network tools can become attack vectors when proper input validation and error handling mechanisms are absent. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include verification of iputils versions to prevent exploitation of this and similar historical vulnerabilities.