CVE-2016-4576 in IPS Module
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the Application Specific Packet Filtering (ASPF) functionality in the Huawei IPS Module, NGFW Module, NIP6300, NIP6600, Secospace USG6300, USG6500, USG6600, USG9500, and AntiDDoS8000 devices with software before V500R001C20SPC100 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary code via a crafted packet, related to "illegitimate parameters."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4576 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Application Specific Packet Filtering functionality of Huawei's security appliances. This issue affects a wide range of Huawei network security devices including IPS modules, NGFW modules, NIP6300 and NIP6600 series, Secospace USG6300, USG6500, USG6600, USG9500, and AntiDDoS8000 products. The vulnerability specifically manifests in the handling of illegitimate parameters within the ASPF processing pipeline, creating a dangerous condition where malformed packets can trigger unexpected behavior in the device's memory management systems.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation within the ASPF module's packet processing logic. When the system receives crafted packets containing malformed or oversized parameter values, the buffer overflow condition occurs during the parsing and validation stages of packet inspection. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers stack-based buffer overflow scenarios. The vulnerability's remote exploitation capability means that attackers can trigger the condition from outside the network perimeter without requiring physical access or authentication credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass potential code execution capabilities. Remote attackers who successfully exploit this buffer overflow can cause the affected devices to crash and restart, leading to service disruption and potential network outages. More critically, the vulnerability's potential for arbitrary code execution means that attackers could gain control over the affected security appliances, potentially allowing them to establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. This represents a severe compromise of network security posture, as the devices designed to protect against attacks become vulnerable to exploitation themselves.
The attack vector for this vulnerability involves sending specially crafted packets to the target devices that contain illegitimate parameter values within the ASPF processing context. These packets are processed through the normal packet inspection pathways, but the malformed data causes the buffer overflow condition to trigger during parameter validation. This attack scenario aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for execution, and T1499, which addresses network denial of service attacks. The vulnerability affects multiple Huawei product lines, making it particularly dangerous as organizations with diverse security infrastructure may be simultaneously compromised.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant software patches provided by Huawei, which address the buffer overflow conditions in the ASPF module. Network segmentation and access control measures should be enhanced to limit the attack surface, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous packet patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The mitigation strategy should also include network traffic filtering rules that can drop suspicious packets before they reach the vulnerable ASPF processing modules. Regular vulnerability assessments and security audits should be conducted to identify any other potential buffer overflow conditions within the network security infrastructure, as similar issues may exist in other components of the affected Huawei product lines.