CVE-2013-0075 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
The TCP/IP implementation in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2, R2, and R2 SP1, Windows 7 Gold and SP1, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, and Windows RT allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (reboot) via a crafted packet that terminates a TCP connection, aka "TCP FIN WAIT Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2024
The TCP/IP implementation in Microsoft Windows operating systems contains a critical vulnerability that enables remote attackers to trigger system reboots through specially crafted network packets. This vulnerability affects a wide range of Microsoft operating systems including Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2, Windows 7 Gold and SP1, Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, and Windows RT. The flaw specifically manifests when the system processes a crafted TCP packet that terminates a TCP connection, leading to an unexpected system reboot rather than a graceful connection termination.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of TCP FIN packets within the Windows TCP/IP stack implementation. When a maliciously crafted packet is received that triggers a TCP connection termination, the system fails to properly validate the packet contents and sequence numbers. This validation failure causes the TCP state machine to enter an inconsistent state that ultimately results in system instability and forced reboot. The vulnerability operates at the transport layer of the OSI model and specifically targets the TCP connection termination process where FIN packets are exchanged between communicating parties.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows remote attackers to perform denial of service attacks without requiring any authentication or privileged access. An attacker can simply send a specially crafted TCP packet to a target system and cause it to reboot, effectively disrupting services and potentially creating opportunities for further exploitation. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited from remote locations across network boundaries, making it a significant threat to enterprise environments. The automatic reboot behavior also makes it difficult to detect and analyze the attack, as the system simply restarts without providing diagnostic information about the triggering event.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-122 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, which classifies it as a weakness related to improper handling of data structures and memory management in network protocols. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with the T1499.004 technique for "Endpoint Denial of Service" and represents a network-level attack vector that can be executed without user interaction. The vulnerability also relates to T1595.001 for "Active Scanning" as attackers may scan for systems running affected versions of Windows to identify potential targets. Microsoft addressed this vulnerability through security updates that improved the validation of TCP FIN packets and enhanced the robustness of the TCP connection termination process, requiring administrators to apply these patches to protect their systems from exploitation.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patch deployment for all affected systems and implement network segmentation to limit exposure. Additional mitigations include configuring firewalls to filter suspicious TCP packets and monitoring network traffic for unusual connection termination patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify systems that may not have received the necessary security updates. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect against network-level attacks that can compromise system availability and integrity.