CVE-2016-1299 in Small Business SG300
Summary
by MITRE
The web-management GUI implementation on Cisco Small Business SG300 devices 1.4.1.x allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (HTTPS outage) via crafted HTTPS requests, aka Bug ID CSCuw87174.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1299 affects Cisco Small Business SG300 series switches running firmware version 1.4.1.x, specifically targeting the web-management graphical user interface implementation. This security flaw represents a critical denial of service condition that can be exploited by remote attackers to disrupt HTTPS services on affected devices. The vulnerability was documented under Cisco bug ID CSCuw87174, highlighting the severity of impact on network infrastructure devices that rely on web-based management interfaces for configuration and monitoring.
The technical flaw manifests through the improper handling of crafted HTTPS requests within the switch's web management interface. When remote attackers submit specially crafted HTTP requests to the affected device, the system fails to properly validate or process these inputs, leading to a complete disruption of HTTPS services. This behavior indicates a lack of proper input sanitization and request validation mechanisms within the web server component of the SG300 device. The vulnerability likely stems from buffer overflow conditions or improper state management in the HTTP request processing pipeline, where malformed requests cause the web server to crash or enter an unstable state.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it compromises the availability of network management capabilities for administrators. Organizations relying on these switches for network operations face significant risks when the HTTPS management interface becomes unavailable, as administrators lose access to critical configuration and monitoring functions. This denial of service condition can persist until the device is manually rebooted or the firmware is updated, potentially leaving networks vulnerable during the recovery period. The remote exploitation nature of this vulnerability means that attackers can trigger the condition from outside the network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where network devices may be exposed to external traffic.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-1299 should focus on immediate firmware updates from Cisco to address the underlying implementation flaws in the web management interface. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation to limit exposure of these devices to untrusted networks and consider disabling HTTPS management access where possible, relying instead on SSH or other secure protocols for device management. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input length, and represents a typical example of how web server implementations can be vulnerable to crafted input that triggers denial of service conditions. Organizations should also monitor for exploitation attempts through network traffic analysis and implement intrusion detection systems to identify suspicious HTTPS request patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and error handling in network device management interfaces, as highlighted in various ATT&CK framework techniques related to service disruption and network infrastructure compromise.