CVE-2013-7308 in DES-3810-28
Summary
by MITRE
The OSPF implementation on the D-Link DES-3810-28 switch with firmware R2.20.B017 does not consider the possibility of duplicate Link State ID values in Link State Advertisement (LSA) packets before performing operations on the LSA database, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (routing disruption) or obtain sensitive packet information via a crafted LSA packet, a related issue to CVE-2013-0149.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-7308 affects the open shortest path first routing protocol implementation within the D-Link DES-3810-28 network switch firmware version R2.20.B017. This issue represents a critical flaw in the switch's handling of link state advertisement packets that forms part of the OSPF routing mechanism used to maintain network topology information. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation procedures within the switch's routing protocol stack, specifically when processing link state update messages that contain information about network connectivity and routing paths.
The technical flaw manifests when the switch receives a crafted link state advertisement packet containing duplicate link state ID values. In normal OSPF operation, each link state advertisement should contain a unique identifier that distinguishes it from other advertisements within the same routing domain. However, the D-Link switch implementation fails to properly validate these identifiers before processing the advertisements, creating a condition where duplicate IDs can cause unpredictable behavior in the routing database management system. This weakness allows attackers to manipulate the switch's routing decisions by injecting specially crafted LSAs that contain conflicting or duplicate identifiers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable information disclosure and routing disruption across the affected network infrastructure. When an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability through a crafted LSA packet, the switch may experience routing table corruption, leading to network partitions, traffic black holes, or complete routing protocol failure. The vulnerability's relationship to CVE-2013-0149 demonstrates a pattern of insufficient input validation in routing protocol implementations that can be leveraged for both availability and confidentiality attacks. Network administrators may observe intermittent routing issues, failed network connections, or complete network outages as the switch struggles to maintain consistent routing state information.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to network denial of service and privilege escalation through protocol manipulation. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform persistent disruption of network services, potentially causing cascading failures throughout connected networks. The vulnerability's presence in the routing protocol implementation makes it particularly dangerous as it can affect not just the individual switch but also the broader network topology that relies on proper routing information exchange. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring solutions to detect anomalous routing behavior, while also prioritizing firmware updates to address the underlying validation deficiencies. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation in network infrastructure components and demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation flaws can result in significant operational impacts. The issue represents a classic example of CWE-129, which deals with insufficient input validation, specifically in network protocol implementations where malformed data can cause system instability and security breaches.