CVE-2013-5650 in Junos Pulse Secure Access Service
Summary
by MITRE
Junos Pulse Secure Access Service (IVE) 7.1 before 7.1r5, 7.2 before 7.2r10, 7.3 before 7.3r6, and 7.4 before 7.4r3 and Junos Pulse Access Control Service (UAC) 4.1 before 4.1r8.1, 4.2 before 4.2r5, 4.3 before 4.3r6 and 4.4 before 4.4r3, when a hardware SSL acceleration card is enabled, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device hang) via a crafted packet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/24/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-5650 affects Junos Pulse Secure Access Service (IVE) and Junos Pulse Access Control Service (UAC) products from Juniper Networks, specifically targeting versions prior to designated security patches. This issue manifests when hardware SSL acceleration cards are enabled on the affected systems, creating a critical weakness that remote attackers can exploit to trigger device hang conditions. The vulnerability represents a significant concern for organizations relying on these network security solutions for secure remote access and authentication services.
The technical flaw resides in the improper handling of crafted packets when SSL acceleration hardware is active within the network infrastructure. When such malformed packets are transmitted to the affected devices, the SSL processing engine fails to properly validate incoming data structures, leading to a state where the device becomes unresponsive and enters a hung condition. This occurs because the hardware acceleration card processes these packets in a manner that causes internal state corruption, resulting in the device requiring manual intervention or reboot to restore normal operation. The vulnerability specifically impacts the SSL offloading functionality, which is designed to improve performance by delegating cryptographic operations to dedicated hardware components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can compromise the availability of critical network access services. Organizations utilizing these security appliances for remote workforce access, VPN connectivity, and secure authentication may experience complete service outages when attackers exploit this weakness. The device hang condition can persist until manual intervention occurs, potentially leaving users unable to access corporate resources for extended periods. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprises that depend on secure remote access solutions for business continuity, as it can be exploited by attackers to perform denial of service attacks against their network infrastructure, potentially disrupting critical business operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-5650 should focus on immediate patch deployment for all affected versions of Junos Pulse IVE and UAC products, with particular attention to systems utilizing hardware SSL acceleration cards. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit exposure of affected devices to untrusted networks, while monitoring for suspicious traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should disable hardware SSL acceleration features on affected systems until patches are applied, as this serves as a temporary workaround to prevent exploitation. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input boundaries, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security measures to protect against both immediate exploitation and potential follow-on attacks targeting the compromised infrastructure.