CVE-2011-1649 in Content Delivery System
Summary
by MITRE
The Internet Streamer application in Cisco Content Delivery System (CDS) with software 2.5.7, 2.5.8, and 2.5.9 before build 126 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (Web Engine crash) via a crafted URL, aka Bug IDs CSCtg67333 and CSCth25341.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1649 affects the Cisco Content Delivery System's Internet Streamer application, specifically impacting versions 2.5.7, 2.5.8, and 2.5.9 before build 126. This flaw represents a critical denial of service vulnerability that can be exploited by remote attackers to crash the Web Engine component of the system. The vulnerability manifests through a crafted URL that, when processed by the affected application, triggers an unexpected termination of the web engine service. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation, where the application fails to properly sanitize or validate incoming URL parameters before processing them. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no authentication or privileged access, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can submit malicious URLs to the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking and input validation within the URL processing module of the Internet Streamer application. When a maliciously crafted URL is submitted to the system, the application's parsing logic fails to properly handle malformed or unexpected URL parameters, leading to a buffer overflow condition or invalid memory access that ultimately results in the Web Engine crashing. This behavior aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers stack-based buffer overflow scenarios. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic lack of proper error handling and input sanitization that allows attackers to manipulate the application's execution flow through carefully constructed input parameters.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially affecting content delivery and customer experience across networks utilizing affected Cisco CDS systems. The denial of service condition can result in complete unavailability of streaming content services, impacting businesses that rely on content delivery networks for their operations. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can initiate attacks from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the network infrastructure. This characteristic significantly increases the attack surface and potential impact, as the vulnerability can be exploited by threat actors without the need for insider knowledge or network proximity. The affected systems may experience complete service outages until manual intervention or system restart occurs, potentially causing revenue loss and customer dissatisfaction.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Cisco security patches and updates that address the input validation flaws in the Internet Streamer application. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of affected systems to untrusted networks. The implementation of web application firewalls or intrusion prevention systems can provide additional layers of protection by filtering malicious URL patterns before they reach the vulnerable application. Monitoring and logging mechanisms should be enhanced to detect anomalous URL access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to technique T1499.004, which covers network denial of service attacks, and T1595.001, related to network scanning activities that may precede exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing the principle of least privilege for the Internet Streamer application and regularly review system configurations to ensure that only necessary services are exposed to external networks. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security assessments and patch management processes to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities in content delivery systems.