CVE-2013-2017 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE
The veth (aka virtual Ethernet) driver in the Linux kernel before 2.6.34 does not properly manage skbs during congestion, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (system crash) by leveraging lack of skb consumption in conjunction with a double-free error.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-2017 resides within the veth (virtual Ethernet) driver component of the Linux kernel, specifically affecting versions prior to 2.6.34. This flaw represents a critical security issue that demonstrates poor memory management practices during network packet processing under congestion conditions. The veth driver is responsible for creating virtual network interfaces that enable communication between different network namespaces, making it a fundamental component in containerization technologies and virtualized environments where network isolation is essential.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of socket buffer (skb) management when network congestion occurs within the virtual Ethernet interface. During high traffic scenarios, the driver fails to properly consume or release socket buffers that are allocated for packet processing. This inadequate resource management creates a scenario where the same skb structure can be freed multiple times, leading to a double-free condition that severely compromises system stability. The flaw operates at the kernel level where memory allocation and deallocation mechanisms are not properly synchronized, allowing malicious network traffic to trigger this condition through carefully crafted packet sequences.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service, as it can result in complete system crashes and potential data loss. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness by sending specially crafted network packets through the virtual Ethernet interface, triggering the memory corruption that leads to kernel panic and system reboot. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in containerized environments and cloud computing infrastructures where veth interfaces are extensively used for network isolation between containers and virtual machines. The attack vector requires no local privileges and can be executed remotely, making it a significant threat to system availability and service continuity.
This vulnerability maps directly to CWE-415, which describes improper handling of double-free conditions in memory management, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks. The flaw demonstrates how kernel-level memory management errors can be exploited to cause system instability, with implications for both infrastructure security and operational resilience. Organizations using Linux systems with kernel versions prior to 2.6.34 should immediately implement patch management protocols to address this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy involves upgrading to kernel version 2.6.34 or later, where proper skb handling and congestion management have been implemented. Additionally, network administrators should monitor for unusual network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts and consider implementing network segmentation to limit the attack surface of virtualized environments that rely heavily on veth interfaces.