CVE-2014-1811 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
The TCP implementation in Microsoft Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, and Windows RT Gold and 8.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (non-paged pool memory consumption and system hang) via malformed data in the Options field of a TCP header, aka "TCP Denial of Service Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/20/2024
The TCP implementation in Microsoft Windows operating systems contains a critical vulnerability that affects multiple versions including Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, and Windows RT Gold and 8.1. This vulnerability manifests when the system receives malformed data in the Options field of a TCP header, leading to a denial of service condition that consumes non-paged pool memory and ultimately causes system hangs. The flaw represents a classic buffer overflow condition in network protocol handling where the system fails to properly validate TCP header options before processing them, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the TCP stack implementation. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-129 weakness category, specifically addressing improper validation of input data within network protocol implementations. The attack vector requires remote access to the target system, making it particularly dangerous for networked environments where systems may be exposed to untrusted network traffic.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts specially malformed TCP packets containing invalid or excessive data within the TCP Options field. The Windows TCP stack does not adequately sanitize these options fields before attempting to process them, causing the system to allocate excessive memory in the non-paged pool which is reserved for critical kernel operations. This memory exhaustion leads to system instability and eventually complete system hangs where the operating system becomes unresponsive to legitimate network traffic and user input. The vulnerability specifically targets the TCP header parsing logic where the system attempts to read and process TCP options without proper bounds checking or validation of option lengths. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a network service denial of service attack under the technique of "Resource Exhaustion" where system resources are consumed to prevent legitimate use of services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise entire network infrastructure. When exploited successfully, the vulnerability can cause cascading failures in networked environments where multiple systems are affected simultaneously, leading to widespread service outages that can persist until system reboots occur. Network administrators face the challenge of identifying and mitigating this vulnerability without disrupting legitimate network operations, as the attack can occur through normal network traffic without requiring authentication or special privileges. The memory consumption pattern affects kernel-level operations, making the system vulnerable to additional attacks during the period of resource exhaustion, and potentially allowing for privilege escalation if the system fails to properly handle the memory corruption. Organizations running affected Windows versions must consider the vulnerability as a critical threat to their network availability and implement immediate mitigations to prevent exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include applying Microsoft security patches that address the TCP header parsing flaw and implementing network-level protections such as TCP option filtering and rate limiting for suspicious traffic patterns. System administrators should consider deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify malformed TCP packets and implement network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in network protocol implementations and serves as a reminder that even fundamental networking components can contain critical flaws that affect system stability. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual memory consumption patterns or system hang conditions that may indicate exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability can be used in conjunction with other attack vectors to create more sophisticated compromise scenarios.