CVE-2013-5553 in IOS
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple memory leaks in Cisco IOS 15.1 before 15.1(4)M7 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption or device reload) by sending a crafted SIP message over (1) IPv4 or (2) IPv6, aka Bug IDs CSCuc42558 and CSCug25383.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/24/2024
Cisco IOS version 15.1 prior to 15.1(4)M7 contains multiple memory leaks within the Session Initiation Protocol implementation that create persistent resource exhaustion vulnerabilities. These memory leaks occur when the system processes specially crafted SIP messages transmitted over both IPv4 and IPv6 networks, allowing remote attackers to consume system memory resources progressively until device stability is compromised. The vulnerability affects the signaling plane processing within the IOS operating system, specifically targeting the SIP message handling mechanisms that manage session establishment and termination. The flaw manifests as the system failing to properly release allocated memory blocks after processing SIP signaling messages, leading to gradual memory depletion over time.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory management practices within the SIP protocol stack implementation. When the IOS system receives malicious SIP messages, it allocates memory for processing the signaling information but fails to properly deallocate these resources upon completion of message processing. This memory leak behavior is particularly dangerous because SIP messages can be sent repeatedly, allowing attackers to continuously consume system resources without detection. The vulnerability impacts both IPv4 and IPv6 implementations, indicating a fundamental flaw in the protocol handling logic rather than a network layer specific issue. The memory consumption occurs at the application layer where SIP signaling is processed, bypassing normal system resource monitoring mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-5553 represents a significant denial of service threat that can compromise network availability and system reliability. Attackers can maintain persistent resource exhaustion by sending continuous streams of malformed SIP messages, potentially causing memory allocation failures that result in device instability and complete system reloads. This vulnerability directly affects network infrastructure devices such as routers and switches that implement SIP functionality for voice over IP services, potentially disrupting critical communications networks. The memory consumption pattern suggests that the device may become increasingly unstable over time, with the system eventually requiring manual intervention or automatic restart to restore normal operations. Network administrators face the challenge of detecting and mitigating these attacks without causing legitimate service disruption.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on implementing network access control measures to restrict SIP traffic to authorized sources and deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify anomalous SIP message patterns. Cisco has released patches and software updates addressing these memory leaks in IOS version 15.1(4)M7 and subsequent releases, which should be deployed immediately across affected network infrastructure. Network segmentation strategies can help isolate SIP traffic and limit the potential impact of such attacks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-401 Memory Leak classification and represents a technique commonly used in network-based denial of service attacks. Organizations should implement monitoring solutions that track memory utilization patterns and establish automatic alerting mechanisms when abnormal resource consumption occurs. Additionally, implementing rate limiting on SIP message processing and configuring proper logging for SIP traffic can aid in both detection and forensic analysis of such attacks. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a resource exhaustion technique that can be used to achieve persistent denial of service conditions within network infrastructure devices.