CVE-2013-1152 in ASA
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) devices with software 9.0 before 9.0(1.2) allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reload) via a crafted field in a DNS message, aka Bug ID CSCuc80080.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-1152 affects Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) devices operating with software versions 9.0 through 9.0(1.1). This critical flaw resides in the device's handling of DNS messages and represents a remote code execution risk that can lead to complete device compromise. The vulnerability specifically targets the ASA's DNS parsing functionality where improperly crafted DNS fields trigger a device reload, effectively causing a denial of service condition that disrupts network security operations.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves a buffer overflow condition within the ASA's DNS message processing module. When the device receives a specially crafted DNS response containing malformed field values, the parsing routine fails to properly validate input data, leading to memory corruption. This memory corruption eventually results in the device crashing and automatically reloading its operating system. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.1 for network denial of service attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to enterprise network security infrastructure. Organizations relying on ASA devices for perimeter defense face potential service disruption that could last from several minutes to hours depending on the device configuration and network recovery procedures. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability from outside the network boundary without requiring physical access or prior authentication credentials. Network administrators must consider that successful exploitation could provide attackers with a platform for further reconnaissance and lateral movement within the network.
The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as the device reload process can interrupt ongoing security monitoring, logging, and traffic filtering operations. During the reload period, network traffic may be temporarily unprotected, creating windows of opportunity for malicious actors to exploit other vulnerabilities or conduct data exfiltration activities. Organizations with strict compliance requirements or those operating in regulated environments face additional risks as service interruptions may violate regulatory compliance frameworks. The vulnerability also affects the availability of critical network security services such as VPN connectivity, firewall rule enforcement, and intrusion prevention capabilities.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate deployment of Cisco's recommended security patches and updates, specifically targeting software versions 9.0(1.2) and later. Network administrators should implement DNS filtering policies that limit external DNS query responses to trusted sources and consider deploying DNS sinkhole configurations to prevent malformed DNS responses from reaching ASA devices. Additionally, organizations should monitor network traffic for unusual DNS query patterns and implement intrusion detection systems that can identify potential exploitation attempts. The implementation of network segmentation and redundant security appliances can provide additional defense-in-depth measures to minimize the impact of such vulnerabilities on overall network availability.