CVE-2011-1385 in AIX
Summary
by MITRE
IBM AIX 5.3, 6.1, and 7.1, and VIOS 2.1.x and 2.2.x, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (system crash) via an ICMP Echo Reply packet that contains 1 in the Identifier field, a different vulnerability than CVE-2012-0194.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/14/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1385 represents a critical denial of service flaw affecting IBM AIX operating systems across multiple versions including 5.3, 6.1, and 7.1, along with VIOS versions 2.1.x and 2.2.x. This vulnerability specifically targets the handling of ICMP Echo Reply packets within the network stack implementation of these systems, creating a scenario where remote attackers can deliberately trigger system instability and complete crashes. The flaw operates through a precise manipulation of packet fields that exposes a weakness in the protocol processing logic, making it particularly dangerous as it requires minimal effort from an attacker to exploit.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper validation of ICMP packet identifiers during the processing of Echo Reply messages. When an attacker crafts an ICMP Echo Reply packet with the Identifier field set to the value 1, the affected IBM AIX systems exhibit abnormal behavior that leads to system crashes. This represents a classic buffer overflow or state handling vulnerability where the system fails to properly validate incoming packet parameters before processing them. The vulnerability operates at the network protocol level, specifically within the Internet Control Message Protocol implementation that governs communication between network devices. According to CWE classification, this corresponds to CWE-125, which deals with out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-248, which addresses unspecified other flaws in the implementation of network protocols.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-1385 extends beyond simple service disruption as it can cause complete system crashes requiring manual intervention and system restarts. Organizations running affected IBM AIX systems face significant operational risks including extended downtime, potential data loss, and service interruptions that can affect critical business operations. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the network without requiring physical access or authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous for systems exposed to external network traffic. This vulnerability creates an attack surface that can be leveraged by malicious actors to perform distributed denial of service attacks against targeted systems, potentially causing cascading failures in network infrastructure.
From an attack methodology perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1499 category for network denial of service attacks. The exploitation requires minimal technical expertise as attackers only need to craft a specific ICMP packet with predetermined field values. Network administrators should implement immediate mitigations including firewall rules to filter problematic ICMP traffic, network segmentation to limit exposure, and monitoring systems to detect anomalous packet patterns. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and defensive programming practices in operating system kernel code. Organizations should prioritize applying official IBM security patches and updates to address this vulnerability, as the flaw affects multiple generations of IBM AIX systems and requires comprehensive remediation across all affected platforms to ensure complete protection.