CVE-2010-4672 in ASA
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) 5500 series devices with software 8.2(3) and earlier allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (block exhaustion) via EIGRP traffic that triggers an EIGRP multicast storm, aka Bug ID CSCtf20269.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-4672 represents a critical denial of service weakness affecting Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances running software versions 8.2(3) and earlier. This flaw specifically impacts the 5500 series ASA devices, which serve as essential network security components for enterprise environments. The vulnerability manifests through EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol) traffic that triggers an EIGRP multicast storm, ultimately leading to block exhaustion on the affected devices. The issue stems from the ASA's inadequate handling of malformed EIGRP multicast packets, creating a condition where legitimate network traffic becomes disrupted due to resource exhaustion.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of EIGRP multicast traffic patterns that the ASA device processes. When an attacker sends specially crafted EIGRP packets to the affected ASA, the device enters a state where it continuously processes these packets, causing the system to allocate resources for handling the multicast storm. This results in the exhaustion of available blocks within the ASA's memory management system, effectively preventing the device from processing legitimate network traffic. The flaw operates at the network protocol level, specifically targeting the EIGRP implementation within the ASA's routing stack, making it particularly dangerous for network infrastructure security.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability can severely compromise network availability and business continuity for organizations relying on Cisco ASA 5500 series devices. The block exhaustion condition renders the affected ASA unable to process new network connections or maintain existing sessions, effectively creating a denial of service scenario. Network administrators may experience complete loss of connectivity for services protected by the compromised ASA, potentially affecting critical business applications. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means attackers can trigger the condition without physical access to the network infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network security is paramount. The impact extends beyond immediate service disruption to include potential cascading failures in network redundancy and failover mechanisms that depend on the ASA's proper operation.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which addresses buffer overflow conditions, and falls under ATT&CK technique T1498, which covers network denial of service attacks. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Cisco security patches and updates, implementing EIGRP traffic filtering rules, and establishing network monitoring to detect abnormal EIGRP multicast activity. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit the potential impact of such attacks. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on anomalous EIGRP traffic patterns. The remediation process requires careful planning to avoid disrupting existing network operations while addressing the vulnerability. Regular security assessments and network monitoring should be conducted to ensure the effectiveness of implemented controls. This vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches for network infrastructure devices and demonstrates how seemingly minor protocol handling flaws can result in significant operational disruptions.