CVE-2015-7029 in AirPort
Summary
by MITRE
Apple AirPort Base Station Firmware before 7.6.7 and 7.7.x before 7.7.7 misparses DNS data, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7029 represents a critical flaw in Apple AirPort Base Station firmware versions prior to 7.6.7 and 7.7.x versions before 7.7.7. This issue stems from improper parsing of DNS data within the wireless access point's firmware, creating a potential attack surface that could be exploited by remote adversaries. The flaw demonstrates a classic example of input validation failure that can lead to memory corruption, making it particularly dangerous in network infrastructure devices that serve as central points of connectivity for wireless networks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the firmware's handling of Domain Name System data structures during network operations. When the AirPort base station processes DNS responses or queries, the firmware fails to properly validate or sanitize the incoming data, leading to potential buffer overflows or memory corruption scenarios. This misparsing behavior creates opportunities for attackers to craft malicious DNS responses that, when processed by the vulnerable firmware, could trigger arbitrary code execution within the device's memory space. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple code execution to include potential denial of service conditions that could render the wireless access point inoperable.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to enterprise and consumer networks that rely on Apple AirPort devices as their primary wireless infrastructure. The remote exploitability means that attackers need not have physical access to the device or be within the same network segment to potentially compromise the system. Network administrators face the challenge of identifying affected devices across their infrastructure, as the vulnerability affects multiple firmware versions and could be present in various AirPort models. The memory corruption aspect of the flaw makes it particularly concerning because it could lead to unpredictable behavior including system crashes, service interruptions, or potential privilege escalation scenarios.
Security practitioners should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a clear example of how network infrastructure devices can become attack vectors when firmware fails to properly validate external inputs. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this as a network service exploitation technique where adversaries leverage device-specific vulnerabilities to gain control over network infrastructure. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including firmware updates, network segmentation to limit exposure, and monitoring for anomalous DNS traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.
The remediation approach requires systematic firmware updates across all affected AirPort Base Station models to address the DNS parsing implementation flaws. Security teams should prioritize updating devices in critical network segments and implement network monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing DNS sinkhole configurations or DNS filtering mechanisms to prevent malicious DNS responses from reaching vulnerable devices, though this represents a temporary workaround rather than a permanent solution. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current firmware versions for all network infrastructure devices and implementing robust security practices for wireless network management.