CVE-2015-8230 in eSpace 8950 IP Phone
Summary
by MITRE
Memory leak in Huawei eSpace 8950 IP phones with software before V200R003C00SPC300 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption and restart) via a large number of crafted ARP packets.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8230 affects Huawei eSpace 8950 IP phones running software versions prior to V200R003C00SPC300, representing a critical memory management flaw that exposes these devices to remote denial of service attacks. This vulnerability resides within the network protocol handling mechanisms of the IP phone's firmware, specifically in how it processes Address Resolution Protocol packets. The flaw manifests when the device receives an excessive number of crafted ARP packets, causing abnormal memory consumption patterns that eventually lead to system instability and automatic restarts. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no authentication or physical access to the device, making it exploitable from any network position capable of sending malicious ARP traffic.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic memory leak pattern where the eSpace 8950 IP phone fails to properly release allocated memory resources when processing ARP requests. Each crafted ARP packet triggers a memory allocation process that does not subsequently free the allocated memory blocks, resulting in progressive memory exhaustion over time. The device's memory management system lacks proper bounds checking and resource cleanup mechanisms for ARP packet handling, creating a condition where legitimate network traffic can be weaponized to exhaust system resources. This behavior aligns with CWE-401: Improper Release of Memory and represents a fundamental flaw in the device's resource management architecture. The vulnerability operates at the network protocol level, specifically targeting the ARP protocol implementation within the phone's operating system, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise network environments where these devices are commonly deployed.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-8230 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise network availability and business continuity for organizations relying on these IP phones. When exploited, the vulnerability can cause repeated device restarts, leading to communication outages that affect voice services and potentially disrupt critical business operations. The memory exhaustion process typically occurs gradually, allowing attackers to maintain persistent disruption without immediate detection, making it particularly insidious in network monitoring environments. Organizations using these devices may experience cascading failures if multiple phones are simultaneously affected, potentially leading to complete communication infrastructure degradation. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers can exploit it from anywhere on the network, making traditional network segmentation and access controls ineffective against this specific threat vector. This attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.002: Network Denial of Service, which focuses on exhausting network resources to prevent legitimate use of services.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-8230 must prioritize immediate software updates to the affected Huawei eSpace 8950 IP phones, upgrading to firmware version V200R003C00SPC300 or later, which contains the necessary memory management fixes. Network administrators should implement ARP packet filtering and rate limiting at network boundaries to prevent excessive ARP traffic from reaching affected devices, effectively creating a first line of defense against this specific attack pattern. Additionally, organizations should deploy network monitoring solutions capable of detecting abnormal ARP traffic patterns and memory consumption spikes that may indicate exploitation attempts. Device-specific mitigations include configuring the phones to limit ARP request processing and implementing automatic restart detection mechanisms that can alert administrators to potential exploitation. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular firmware updates and security patch management for network infrastructure devices, as well as the need for comprehensive network segmentation to limit the potential impact of such attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and block malicious ARP traffic patterns associated with this specific vulnerability.