CVE-2014-3223 in S2300
Summary
by MITRE
Huawei S9300 with software before V100R006SPH013 and S2300,S3300,S5300,S6300 with software before V100R006SPH010 support Y.1731 and therefore have the Y.1731 vulnerability in processing special packets. The vulnerability causes the restart of switches.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/24/2022
The CVE-2014-3223 vulnerability affects Huawei networking equipment including the S9300 series with software versions prior to V100R006SPH013 and S2300, S3300, S5300, S6300 series with software versions before V100R006SPH010. This vulnerability specifically relates to the implementation of Y.1731 protocol handling within these network switches. The Y.1731 standard defines performance monitoring and fault management mechanisms for packet-based networks, particularly for Ethernet services and pseudowire emulation. Huawei switches supporting this protocol implement the necessary functionality to detect and monitor network performance issues through specialized packets that carry specific payload structures and control information.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of specially crafted Y.1731 packets that exploit a buffer overflow or memory corruption vulnerability within the switch's packet processing engine. When these switches receive malformed or specially constructed Y.1731 packets, the processing routine fails to properly validate input parameters or handle edge cases in packet parsing. This leads to a critical system failure where the switch's operating system or network processing modules become unstable, ultimately causing the device to restart automatically. The vulnerability represents a classic denial of service condition that can be triggered remotely through network traffic without requiring authentication or special privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for network infrastructure reliability and availability. Network administrators may experience unexpected service disruptions as switches restart automatically when processing legitimate network traffic or malicious packets. The automatic restart behavior can cause temporary network outages, particularly in environments where these switches serve as core network components or provide critical connectivity services. The vulnerability affects the availability aspect of the CIA triad by creating conditions where network services become temporarily inaccessible due to device restarts. This can particularly impact service level agreements and network uptime requirements in enterprise and service provider environments.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network disruption through service availability attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management in network protocol implementations. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the relevant Huawei security patches and firmware updates that address the Y.1731 packet processing flaw. Network segmentation and access control measures can help limit exposure by restricting which systems can send potentially malicious packets to affected switches. Additionally, monitoring network traffic for unusual patterns or malformed Y.1731 packets can provide early detection of exploitation attempts. Regular vulnerability assessments and network configuration reviews should include verification of affected device software versions and implementation of proper network access controls to prevent unauthorized access to network infrastructure components.