CVE-2017-13080 in watchOS
Summary
by MITRE
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA and WPA2) allows reinstallation of the Group Temporal Key (GTK) during the group key handshake, allowing an attacker within radio range to replay frames from access points to clients.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/26/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13080 represents a critical flaw in the Wi-Fi Protected Access protocol family, specifically affecting both WPA and WPA2 implementations. This weakness exploits the group key handshake mechanism that occurs periodically to refresh encryption keys for multicast and broadcast traffic within wireless networks. The vulnerability stems from the improper handling of cryptographic handshake messages, particularly when clients receive and process group temporal key reinstallation requests from access points. Attackers leveraging this vulnerability can manipulate the wireless communication by replaying specific frames that contain group temporal key information, effectively forcing clients to reinstall previously used keys. This flaw directly impacts the fundamental security guarantees provided by WPA/WPA2 protocols, undermining the confidentiality and integrity of wireless communications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the IEEE 802.11 standard's key management protocols, specifically within the group key handshake process defined in section 8.5.3 of the 802.11 standard. When an access point sends a group key handshake message containing a new group temporal key, the client should only process this message if it represents a legitimate update rather than a replay of previous key material. However, the vulnerability occurs because the client implementation fails to properly validate the replay protection mechanisms for group key updates, allowing an attacker to send duplicate group key handshake frames that trigger the reinstallation of the same GTK. This flaw has been categorized under CWE-310 as Cryptographic Issues, specifically related to improper key management and replay protection failures. The vulnerability essentially allows an attacker to bypass the normal key rotation mechanisms that should prevent key reuse in wireless networks.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-13080 extends beyond simple data interception, as it enables sophisticated attack vectors that can compromise the entire wireless network security posture. An attacker within radio range can exploit this vulnerability to perform various malicious activities including packet replay attacks, session hijacking, and potentially decrypting sensitive wireless traffic that should remain protected by WPA/WPA2 encryption. The vulnerability affects all devices that implement WPA/WPA2 protocols, including enterprise access points, consumer routers, and client devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets. The attack requires only proximity to the target network and does not necessitate advanced technical skills or network infiltration, making it particularly dangerous in public wireless environments. This vulnerability has been classified under the MITRE ATT&CK framework as part of the T1046 technique for Network Service Scanning and T1071.004 for Application Layer Protocol: DNS, as attackers can leverage the compromised wireless network to establish further attack vectors. The security implications are severe because the vulnerability affects the core cryptographic protections that wireless networks rely upon for security.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-13080 require immediate implementation of both software patches and network configuration changes. Network administrators should prioritize updating all wireless access points and client devices with the latest firmware and security patches provided by vendors, as this vulnerability was widely exploited in the public domain following its disclosure. The most effective immediate solution involves implementing proper replay protection mechanisms at the wireless access point level, ensuring that group key handshake messages are properly validated against previously processed frames. Organizations should also consider deploying additional network monitoring tools to detect anomalous group key handshake behavior, as these attacks often manifest as repeated frame patterns in network traffic analysis. The vulnerability highlights the importance of implementing robust cryptographic protocol implementations and underscores the necessity of regular security audits of wireless infrastructure. Network segmentation strategies can help limit the impact of exploitation by isolating critical systems from potentially compromised wireless segments. Furthermore, organizations should consider implementing additional security layers such as network access control and intrusion detection systems to provide defense-in-depth against wireless attacks that exploit this vulnerability. The remediation process should also include comprehensive testing of wireless network configurations to ensure that all devices properly implement the correct cryptographic key management protocols and that replay protection mechanisms function as intended.