CVE-2016-1383 in Web Security Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
Memory leak in Cisco AsyncOS through 8.8 on Web Security Appliance (WSA) devices allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via an unspecified HTTP status code, aka Bug ID CSCur28305.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1383 represents a critical memory leak flaw within Cisco AsyncOS versions through 8.8, specifically affecting Web Security Appliance devices. This issue resides in the handling of HTTP status codes and creates a persistent memory consumption problem that can be exploited remotely by attackers. The vulnerability is categorized under the Common Weakness Enumeration as CWE-401, which identifies improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation, leading to resource exhaustion conditions.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of HTTP status codes in network traffic directed toward the affected WSA devices. Attackers can craft malicious HTTP responses that trigger the memory leak condition without requiring authentication or specialized privileges. The flaw manifests when the device processes certain HTTP status codes that cause improper memory management within the AsyncOS kernel, resulting in gradual memory consumption that eventually leads to system instability and denial of service conditions. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK framework's T1499 technique for network denial of service, specifically targeting resource exhaustion through memory manipulation.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-1383 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can effectively render WSA devices inoperable through sustained memory exhaustion attacks. Network administrators face significant challenges in maintaining secure and reliable web filtering services, as the vulnerability can be exploited continuously without detection, gradually depleting system resources until the appliance becomes unresponsive. The memory leak affects the device's ability to maintain normal traffic processing capabilities, potentially exposing network users to bypassed security controls and creating opportunities for more sophisticated attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of Cisco's security patches and updates, specifically targeting the AsyncOS versions affected by the memory leak. Network administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual memory consumption patterns and establish automated alerting mechanisms for memory usage thresholds. The recommended approach includes applying the latest security patches from Cisco, implementing rate limiting controls on HTTP status code processing, and configuring network segmentation to limit exposure. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify patterns consistent with this specific vulnerability exploitation and maintain regular security assessments to verify the effectiveness of implemented controls.