CVE-2016-8781 in Secospace USG6300
Summary
by MITRE
Huawei Secospace USG6300 with software V500R001C20 and V500R001C20SPC200PWE, Secospace USG6500 with software V500R001C20, Secospace USG6600 with software V500R001C20 and V500R001C20SPC200PWE allow remote attackers with specific permission to log in to a device and deliver a large number of unspecified commands to exhaust memory, causing a DoS condition.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/24/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8781 affects Huawei Secospace USG6300, USG6500, and USG6600 firewall appliances running specific software versions including V500R001C20 and V500R001C20SPC200PWE. This issue represents a denial of service vulnerability that can be exploited by authenticated attackers who possess specific permissions to access the affected devices. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the command processing mechanisms of these security appliances. The flaw allows an attacker with legitimate login credentials to submit a large volume of unspecified commands that can overwhelm the device's memory resources, ultimately leading to a complete system outage that renders the firewall inoperable and disrupts network security services.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic resource exhaustion attack pattern where the attacker leverages legitimate administrative access to exploit memory management deficiencies in the device's command processing engine. This weakness aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes resource exhaustion vulnerabilities as a critical threat vector where attackers can consume system resources to the point of system failure. The vulnerability operates through a command injection mechanism where multiple commands are processed simultaneously without proper rate limiting or memory allocation controls, causing the device to allocate memory for each command without adequate cleanup or resource monitoring. The specific nature of the commands is unspecified, suggesting that the vulnerability may be triggered by various command types, making it particularly dangerous as attackers can potentially craft any sequence of commands to maximize memory consumption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to compromise the overall network security posture of organizations relying on these devices. When a firewall becomes unavailable due to this DoS condition, network traffic flows are disrupted, security policies cannot be enforced, and the organization loses critical visibility into network activities. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprise networks where these firewalls serve as primary security gateways, potentially creating window of opportunity for additional attacks as network protection mechanisms become unavailable. The attack vector requires only legitimate administrative credentials, making it difficult to detect and prevent through traditional network monitoring, as the malicious activity appears to originate from authenticated administrative sessions. This characteristic places the vulnerability in the ATT&CK framework under the T1078 technique for Valid Accounts, where adversaries use legitimate credentials to maintain access and execute attacks that can lead to system compromise and service disruption.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing comprehensive access controls and monitoring mechanisms to detect anomalous command sequences. Organizations should enforce strict administrative access policies including multi-factor authentication and role-based access controls to minimize the risk of credential compromise. Network administrators should implement command logging and monitoring to detect unusual command patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The device firmware should be updated to the latest available versions that contain patches addressing the memory management deficiencies. Additionally, implementing rate limiting and command queue controls can help prevent excessive command processing that leads to memory exhaustion. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify potential exploitation vectors and ensure that the security controls remain effective against evolving threats. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and resource management in security appliances, emphasizing the need for robust defensive programming practices that prevent resource exhaustion attacks through proper memory allocation and cleanup procedures.