CVE-2015-0654 in Intrusion Prevention System
Summary
by MITRE
Race condition in the TLS implementation in MainApp in the management interface in Cisco Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) Software before 7.3(3)E4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (process hang) by establishing many HTTPS sessions, aka Bug ID CSCuq40652.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2015-0654 represents a critical race condition within the Transport Layer Security implementation of Cisco's Intrusion Prevention System software, specifically affecting the management interface's HTTPS handling capabilities. This flaw exists in the MainApp component of the IPS software and impacts versions prior to 7.3(3)E4, creating a significant security risk that can be exploited remotely by malicious actors. The vulnerability stems from improper synchronization mechanisms during the establishment of multiple concurrent HTTPS sessions, which creates a condition where the system becomes unresponsive and enters a state of process hang.
The technical nature of this vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-362, which describes a race condition flaw in software implementations. The race condition occurs when multiple threads or processes attempt to access shared resources simultaneously without proper locking mechanisms, leading to unpredictable behavior and system instability. In this specific case, the issue manifests when numerous HTTPS sessions are established rapidly, overwhelming the TLS implementation's ability to manage concurrent connections properly. The vulnerability operates at the application layer, specifically targeting the management interface that uses HTTPS for secure communication, making it particularly dangerous as it affects the system's administrative capabilities.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe denial of service condition that can completely disable the management interface of affected Cisco IPS devices. When exploited, the system enters a state where it cannot properly process new HTTPS connections or maintain existing ones, effectively rendering the device's management capabilities unusable. This operational degradation can persist for extended periods, potentially requiring manual intervention or device restart to restore normal functionality. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can trigger the condition from outside the network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous for network administrators who rely on the management interface for device monitoring and configuration.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1499 category, which covers network denial of service attacks. Attackers can leverage this flaw to disrupt network security operations by making the IPS device unavailable for management, potentially creating blind spots in network monitoring. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as it can compromise the overall security posture of the network, since administrators lose the ability to monitor and respond to security events through the affected device. Organizations may also face operational challenges including extended downtime, increased incident response times, and potential compliance issues due to the unavailability of critical security infrastructure.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Cisco IPS software version 7.3(3)E4 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the race condition. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual HTTPS session patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, as well as establishing redundant management access methods to ensure continued operational capability. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper synchronization mechanisms in multi-threaded applications and serves as a reminder of the critical need to regularly update security infrastructure components to address known vulnerabilities.