CVE-2013-0711 in VxWorks
Summary
by MITRE
IPSSH (aka the SSH server) in Wind River VxWorks 6.5 through 6.9 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon outage) via a crafted authentication request.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0711 affects the IPSSH implementation within Wind River VxWorks operating systems version 6.5 through 6.9. This represents a significant security weakness in embedded systems infrastructure where the SSH daemon becomes unresponsive due to malformed authentication requests. The vulnerability operates at the network protocol level where the SSH server fails to properly validate incoming authentication attempts, creating a condition that can be exploited by remote attackers to disrupt system availability. This type of flaw directly impacts the reliability and operational continuity of embedded devices that depend on secure remote access capabilities.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves improper input validation within the SSH authentication handler component of the IPSSH daemon. When a remote attacker sends a specially crafted authentication request, the system fails to properly parse or handle the malformed data, leading to a daemon crash or indefinite hang state. This behavior aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of input boundaries, and CWE-20, which covers input validation issues in software systems. The flaw essentially creates a resource exhaustion condition where the authentication process consumes excessive system resources or enters an unrecoverable state, ultimately causing the SSH service to become unavailable to legitimate users.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a critical risk to embedded systems deployments that rely on secure remote access for maintenance, monitoring, and operational management. The denial of service impact means that authorized personnel lose access to systems that may be located in remote or inaccessible locations, potentially leading to extended downtime and operational disruption. This vulnerability is particularly concerning in industrial control systems, medical devices, and network infrastructure where availability is paramount. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this weakness from anywhere on the network without requiring physical access to the target device, making it a high-impact vulnerability in environments where embedded systems are deployed.
The security implications extend beyond simple availability concerns as this vulnerability can be leveraged as part of broader attack strategies. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004 which covers network denial of service attacks, and potentially T1566 which involves initial access through social engineering or exploitation of system vulnerabilities. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying vendor patches, configuring network access controls to restrict SSH access, and implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious authentication patterns. Additionally, network segmentation strategies should be employed to limit the potential impact of exploitation, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in embedded system components. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation in security-critical systems and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of embedded operating systems before deployment in production environments.