CVE-2014-3890 in SX-2000WG
Summary
by MITRE
silex SX-2000WG devices with firmware before 1.5.4 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (connectivity outage) via a crafted IP packet, a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-3889.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/11/2019
The silex SX-2000WG device represents a network infrastructure component that fell victim to a critical remote denial of service vulnerability in its firmware versions prior to 1.5.4. This vulnerability specifically targets the device's handling of IP packet processing, creating a pathway for remote attackers to disrupt network connectivity. The flaw manifests when maliciously crafted IP packets are transmitted to the device, triggering an unexpected behavior that results in complete service disruption. Unlike similar vulnerabilities such as CVE-2014-3889, this particular weakness demonstrates distinct characteristics in how it affects the device's operational state and packet processing mechanisms.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and packet processing routines within the device's firmware implementation. When the SX-2000WG encounters a specially crafted IP packet, the device's network stack fails to properly handle the malformed data structure, leading to a system crash or resource exhaustion that effectively terminates network connectivity. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, Input Validation, and CWE-248, Uncaught Exception, as the device lacks proper error handling for malformed network traffic. The flaw operates at the network protocol level, specifically affecting the device's ability to process incoming IP packets without proper sanitization of packet headers or payload data.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service interruption to encompass broader network reliability concerns. Network administrators managing deployments of SX-2000WG devices face significant risks as remote attackers can exploit this weakness to cause widespread connectivity outages without requiring physical access or authentication credentials. The remote exploit capability places this vulnerability in the ATT&CK matrix under T1498, Network Denial of Service, and T1595, Network infiltration, as it allows adversaries to maintain persistent access to network infrastructure. Organizations relying on these devices for network connectivity face potential business disruption, service level agreement violations, and increased operational overhead as they must respond to and remediate the vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate firmware updates to version 1.5.4 or later, which contain patches addressing the packet processing flaws. Network administrators should implement network segmentation and access control measures to limit exposure while updates are deployed, utilizing techniques such as firewall rules to restrict incoming IP traffic to essential ports only. Additionally, monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect anomalous packet patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, particularly focusing on unusual IP header structures or malformed packet sequences. The vulnerability underscores the importance of regular firmware maintenance and network security assessments, as highlighted in NIST SP 800-40 guidelines for network device security management. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to identify potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing network device denial of service vulnerabilities.