CVE-2016-8790 in CloudEngine 5800
Summary
by MITRE
Huawei CloudEngine 5800 with software before V200R001C00SPC700, CloudEngine 6800 with software before V200R001C00SPC700, CloudEngine 7800 with software before V200R001C00SPC700, CloudEngine 8800 with software before V200R001C00SPC700, CloudEngine 12800 with software before V200R001C00SPC700 could allow the attacker to exploit a buffer overflow vulnerability by sending crafted packets to the affected system to cause a main control board reboot.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/24/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8790 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw affecting Huawei's CloudEngine series of network switches including the 5800, 6800, 7800, 8800, and 12800 models. This issue stems from inadequate input validation within the network switch's packet processing mechanisms, specifically in how the system handles malformed or crafted network packets. The vulnerability affects all affected models running software versions prior to V200R001C00SPC700, creating a widespread risk across Huawei's enterprise networking infrastructure. The flaw manifests when the system receives specially crafted packets that exceed the allocated buffer space, leading to memory corruption that ultimately results in system instability and complete reboot of the main control board.
The technical exploitation of this buffer overflow vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of network packet headers and payloads that are processed by the switch's control plane. When an attacker sends maliciously constructed packets to the affected Huawei switches, the system's packet processing routine fails to properly validate the size and content of incoming data structures. This validation failure allows the attacker to overwrite adjacent memory locations within the main control board's memory space, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system crash conditions. The vulnerability is classified as a classic stack-based buffer overflow according to CWE-121, where insufficient bounds checking permits data to be written beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. The impact is particularly severe because it affects the main control board, which serves as the central processing unit for all switch operations, making the system vulnerable to complete service disruption.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risks to enterprise network infrastructure as it allows remote attackers to perform denial-of-service attacks against critical network equipment. The automatic reboot of main control boards can result in network outages that may last from several minutes to hours depending on the recovery process, affecting business continuity and potentially causing cascading failures throughout the network infrastructure. Network administrators face the challenge of identifying and mitigating this vulnerability across multiple switch models simultaneously, as the affected software versions span across different hardware generations within the CloudEngine product line. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access to the devices, making it particularly dangerous for networks with exposed management interfaces or those that do not properly segment their network traffic. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004 - Endpoint Termination, where an attacker can cause system termination through network-based attacks.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2016-8790 requires immediate software patching of all affected Huawei CloudEngine switches to the recommended software versions V200R001C00SPC700 or later. Organizations should conduct comprehensive inventory audits to identify all affected devices across their network infrastructure, as the vulnerability spans multiple hardware models and software versions. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit exposure of affected switches to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect potential exploitation attempts through unusual packet patterns or network traffic anomalies. Additionally, implementing network access control lists and firewall rules to restrict management access to only trusted sources can help reduce the attack surface. Security teams should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems capable of identifying crafted packets that match the vulnerability's exploitation patterns, as part of their overall network defense strategy. The vulnerability's impact on business operations underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust network monitoring practices to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts promptly.