CVE-2015-0742 in ASA
Summary
by MITRE
The Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) application in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software 9.2(0.0), 9.2(0.104), 9.2(3.1), 9.2(3.4), 9.3(1.105), 9.3(2.100), 9.4(0.115), 100.13(0.21), 100.13(20.3), 100.13(21.9), and 100.14(1.1) does not properly implement multicast-forwarding registration, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (forwarding outage) via a crafted multicast packet, aka Bug ID CSCus74398.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2015-0742 represents a critical flaw in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance software that affects multiple versions including 9.2, 9.3, 100.13, and 100.14 releases. This issue specifically targets the Protocol Independent Multicast implementation within the ASA platform, which serves as a fundamental component for managing multicast traffic in network environments. The flaw manifests in the improper handling of multicast-forwarding registration processes, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's multicast functionality.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation and processing of multicast packets within the PIM application layer of the ASA software. When crafted malicious multicast packets are received by the affected appliance, they trigger a failure in the multicast forwarding registration mechanism that causes the system to cease proper multicast packet forwarding operations. This malfunction results in a complete forwarding outage for multicast traffic, effectively disrupting network communication for all multicast-enabled services and applications that depend on the affected ASA device.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risk to enterprise networks that rely on multicast communications for critical services such as video streaming, VoIP applications, network management protocols, and real-time data distribution systems. The denial of service condition created by this flaw can result in widespread network disruption, potentially affecting hundreds or thousands of users depending on the network architecture and multicast usage patterns. Network administrators may experience extended downtime while troubleshooting and implementing mitigations, as the issue can appear as a complete loss of multicast functionality without clear indication of the underlying cause.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-119, which addresses "Improper Access of Resource Through Indexing" and represents a classic case of resource exhaustion or improper state management in network protocol implementations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1498, which covers "Network Denial of Service" techniques, and T1071.004, covering "Application Layer Protocol: DNS" if DNS multicast queries are involved in the attack vectors. The remote exploit nature of this vulnerability means that attackers can initiate the attack from external networks without requiring local access or authentication, making it particularly dangerous for perimeter devices like firewalls that are designed to be accessible from external networks.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches provided by Cisco, which address the multicast forwarding registration implementation issues. Network segmentation strategies should be employed to limit the attack surface, and monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect anomalous multicast traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing rate limiting for multicast packets and configuring proper access control lists can help reduce the impact of potential attacks while maintaining network functionality. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of thorough protocol implementation testing and validation in network security devices, particularly for critical communication protocols like multicast that form the backbone of many enterprise network services.