CVE-2013-0713 in VxWorks
Summary
by MITRE
IPSSH (aka the SSH server) in Wind River VxWorks 6.5 through 6.9 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (daemon outage) via a crafted pty request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0713 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 service becomes unavailable due to malicious input. The flaw specifically manifests when authenticated remote users send specially crafted pty requests to the SSH server, resulting in daemon termination and subsequent denial of service conditions. This vulnerability operates at the application layer of the network stack and demonstrates a critical design flaw in the input validation mechanisms of the SSH implementation.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input sanitization within the pty request handling code path of the IPSSH daemon. When a legitimate authenticated user submits a malformed pty request, the system fails to properly validate the request parameters before processing them, leading to memory corruption or unexpected behavior that ultimately terminates the SSH daemon service. This issue aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of inadequate input validation that allows attackers to manipulate program execution flow. The vulnerability operates through the standard SSH protocol implementation but exploits a specific weakness in how the system handles pseudo-terminal allocation requests.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-0713 extends beyond simple service disruption as it can severely compromise system availability in mission-critical embedded environments where VxWorks is commonly deployed. Organizations utilizing Wind River VxWorks in industrial control systems, network infrastructure, or embedded devices face potential operational risks when this vulnerability is exploited, as the daemon outage can prevent legitimate administrative access to affected systems. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where remote access is essential for system maintenance and monitoring, creating a window of opportunity for attackers to gain unauthorized access to systems during the service interruption period. The attack requires only authenticated access, making it a particularly concerning weakness in environments where credential security might be compromised.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected VxWorks versions through official Wind River updates, as the vendor has released security fixes addressing this specific issue. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to SSH services and employ additional authentication mechanisms such as two-factor authentication to reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access. Monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual patterns in pty request usage and implement rate limiting to prevent exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the T1078 technique for valid accounts and T1499 for network denial of service, highlighting the importance of layered security approaches that address both authentication controls and service availability protections. The fix typically involves implementing proper input validation and bounds checking for pty requests, ensuring that all parameters are thoroughly verified before processing to prevent the daemon from crashing under malicious input conditions.