CVE-2015-2800 in Campus Switches
Summary
by MITRE
The user authentication module in Huawei Campus switches S5700, S5300, S6300, and S6700 with software before V200R001SPH012 and S7700, S9300, and S9700 with software before V200R001SPH015 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device restart) via vectors involving authentication, which trigger an array access violation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2800 affects Huawei Campus switches including models S5700, S5300, S6300, S6700, S7700, S9300, and S9700 running specific software versions prior to V200R001SPH012 and V200R001SPH015 respectively. This represents a critical security flaw in the user authentication module that can be exploited by remote attackers to execute a denial of service attack resulting in device restarts. The vulnerability specifically manifests through authentication-related vectors that cause array access violations within the switch firmware, demonstrating a fundamental flaw in input validation and memory management within the authentication subsystem.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of authentication requests within the switch's operating system. When remote attackers craft malicious authentication packets or sequences, the system fails to properly validate array bounds during the authentication process, leading to memory corruption that triggers an array access violation. This type of flaw falls under CWE-129, which addresses insufficient validation of array index values, and CWE-787, concerning out-of-bounds write operations. The vulnerability enables attackers to exploit the authentication module without requiring authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous as it can be executed remotely over the network.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it can cause complete device restarts, leading to network outages and potential loss of connectivity for connected devices. Network administrators may experience unexpected downtime during critical operations when switches restart due to authentication attacks. The attack surface is significant since these switches are commonly deployed in enterprise environments where network availability is crucial for business operations. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1499, which covers network denial of service attacks, and T1566, which addresses credential access through various network-based attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-2800 should prioritize immediate software updates to the affected Huawei switch models to patch the authentication module vulnerability. Network administrators should implement network segmentation to limit access to switch management interfaces and restrict authentication attempts from unauthorized sources. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual authentication patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's nature suggests that implementing rate limiting and authentication request validation measures can help reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. Organizations should also consider deploying network access control lists to restrict management access to switches and ensure that only trusted administrative workstations can interact with the switch authentication interfaces.