CVE-2014-3931 in MRLG
Summary
by MITRE
fastping.c in MRLG (aka Multi-Router Looking Glass) before 5.5.0 allows remote attackers to cause an arbitrary memory write and memory corruption.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3931 affects MRLG (Multi-Router Looking Glass) versions prior to 5.5.0, specifically within the fastping.c component. This represents a critical memory corruption flaw that enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary memory writes, fundamentally compromising the integrity and stability of affected systems. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management practices within the network diagnostic tool that is commonly used by network operators to test connectivity and routing paths between multiple routers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a buffer overflow condition that occurs during the processing of network ping requests. When MRLG receives specially crafted input through the fastping functionality, the application fails to properly validate the length and content of incoming data before writing it to memory buffers. This allows attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations with malicious data, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system crashes. The flaw operates at the network protocol level where the application processes ICMP echo requests and responses, making it particularly dangerous in network monitoring environments where such tools are frequently exposed to external traffic.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to network infrastructure security as MRLG systems are often deployed in publicly accessible environments where they serve as gateways for network diagnostics. The remote exploit capability means that attackers can potentially compromise network monitoring systems without requiring local access or credentials, making it an attractive target for malicious actors seeking to gain unauthorized access to network infrastructure. The memory corruption effects can result in system instability, data loss, or complete system compromise depending on the specific memory locations overwritten and the execution context of the vulnerable application.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with the ATT&CK technique T1203, where adversaries exploit software vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to systems. Organizations using affected MRLG versions should immediately implement patch management procedures to upgrade to version 5.5.0 or later, which includes proper input validation and memory boundary checks. Additional mitigations should include network segmentation to limit exposure of MRLG systems to untrusted networks, implementing firewall rules to restrict access to the affected service, and monitoring for unusual ping activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should also involve comprehensive security testing of network monitoring infrastructure to ensure no other similar vulnerabilities exist within the broader network ecosystem.