CVE-2016-8786 in S12700
Summary
by MITRE
Huawei S12700 V200R005C00, V200R006C00, V200R007C00, V200R008C00, S5700 V200R006C00, V200R007C00, V200R008C00, S6700 V200R008C00, S7700 V200R001C00, V200R002C00, V200R003C00, V200R005C00, V200R006C00, V200R007C00, V200R008C00, S9700 V200R001C00, V200R002C00, V200R003C00, V200R005C00, V200R006C00, V200R007C00, V200R008C00 have a denial of service (DoS) vulnerability. Due to the lack of input validation, a remote attacker may craft a malformed Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) packet and send it to the device, causing a few buffer overflows and occasional device restart.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8786 affects multiple Huawei network switches including the S12700, S5700, S6700, S7700, and S9700 series across several software versions. This represents a critical denial of service weakness that exploits the absence of proper input validation within the device's RSVP processing functionality. The vulnerability manifests when the network switch receives malformed RSVP packets that trigger buffer overflow conditions, ultimately leading to device instability and potential restarts. The affected devices operate with software versions ranging from V200R005C00 through V200R008C00 across different switch models, indicating a widespread issue affecting Huawei's core network infrastructure products.
The technical flaw resides in the insufficient validation mechanisms implemented within the RSVP protocol handler of these network switches. When a remote attacker crafts specifically malformed RSVP packets, the device fails to properly validate the incoming data before processing it, resulting in buffer overflow conditions. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions where insufficient validation allows attackers to write beyond allocated buffer boundaries. The buffer overflow occurs during packet processing, causing memory corruption that leads to system instability and subsequent device restarts, effectively creating a denial of service condition that disrupts network operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it compromises the reliability of critical network infrastructure. Network administrators face the challenge of maintaining uptime for switches that may restart unexpectedly due to maliciously crafted RSVP packets, potentially affecting large segments of network traffic. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, making it accessible to attackers anywhere on the network. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which describes denial of service attacks that target network infrastructure to disrupt services. The periodic nature of device restarts suggests that the vulnerability may not immediately crash the system but rather causes intermittent failures that are difficult to diagnose and remediate.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and network segmentation to limit exposure. Network administrators should apply the latest firmware updates provided by Huawei to address the buffer overflow conditions in RSVP processing. Additionally, implementing network access controls and filtering mechanisms can help prevent unauthorized access to the switch management interfaces. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust input validation in network protocol implementations, as specified in industry standards such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO/IEC 27001. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous RSVP traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, while maintaining regular patch management procedures to address similar vulnerabilities in network infrastructure devices.