CVE-2012-2210 in Bravia TV
Summary
by MITRE
The Sony Bravia TV KDL-32CX525 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (configuration outage or device crash) via a flood of TCP SYN packets, as demonstrated by hping, a related issue to CVE-1999-0116.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2210 affects Sony Bravia television models, specifically the KDL-32CX525, and represents a significant security flaw in embedded network infrastructure. This issue demonstrates how consumer electronics devices can become vulnerable to network-based attacks that exploit fundamental TCP protocol behaviors. The vulnerability arises from the device's insufficient handling of TCP SYN packets, which are the initial packets sent during TCP three-way handshake establishment. When subjected to an excessive flood of these packets, the television's network stack becomes overwhelmed and fails to maintain normal operational functionality.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate network stack implementation within the television's operating system. The device fails to properly implement TCP connection rate limiting or SYN flood protection mechanisms that are standard in robust network implementations. This flaw aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes unchecked resource consumption as a weakness leading to denial of service conditions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited using common network tools such as hping, which is designed specifically for crafting and sending customized TCP packets. The attack vector demonstrates how an attacker can leverage basic network protocols against embedded systems without requiring sophisticated exploitation techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially creating widespread availability issues for users who depend on their television for normal operation. When the device crashes or becomes unresponsive due to SYN flood attacks, users experience complete loss of functionality including picture display, audio output, and remote control capabilities. The configuration outage affects not only the immediate device but can also impact network connectivity for other devices on the same network segment. This vulnerability particularly affects home networks where television devices are often connected to the internet and may serve as entry points for more sophisticated attacks, as noted in the ATT&CK framework's network denial of service techniques.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on network-level protections and device configuration improvements. Network administrators should implement SYN flood protection mechanisms at the firewall level, including rate limiting for TCP SYN packets and connection tracking enforcement. The device manufacturer should provide firmware updates that implement proper TCP stack behavior and connection rate limiting. Additionally, network segmentation should isolate entertainment devices from critical network infrastructure to limit the impact of such attacks. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing proper network security controls even for consumer electronics and demonstrates how embedded systems in the Internet of Things require robust security measures to prevent simple network-based attacks from causing significant operational disruption.