CVE-2017-13763 in ONOS
Summary
by MITRE
ONOS versions 1.8.0, 1.9.0, and 1.10.0 do not restrict the amount of memory allocated. The Netty payload size is not limited.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/28/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-13763 affects ONOS versions 1.8.0, 1.9.0, and 1.10.0, representing a critical memory allocation flaw that exposes the network operating system to potential denial of service attacks. This vulnerability stems from the absence of proper memory restriction mechanisms within the system's networking stack, specifically concerning the Netty framework that handles network communications. The flaw allows malicious actors to exploit the lack of payload size limitations, potentially leading to excessive memory consumption that can overwhelm system resources and render the network service unavailable.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper configuration of Netty's buffer management and payload handling mechanisms within the ONOS framework. When network packets arrive at the system, they are processed through Netty's asynchronous event-driven architecture without adequate bounds on the memory allocated for processing incoming data. This design flaw creates an attack surface where adversaries can craft specially malformed or oversized network payloads that cause the system to allocate increasingly larger memory blocks without proper limits. The vulnerability manifests as a lack of input validation and resource control, specifically failing to implement proper buffer size constraints that would normally prevent excessive memory allocation during network packet processing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it can lead to complete system instability and network disruption within the controlled environment. Attackers leveraging this flaw can cause memory exhaustion across multiple system components, potentially affecting not only the primary network functions but also related services that depend on the ONOS platform. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in production network environments where ONOS serves as a critical component for network control and management, as the resulting memory exhaustion can cascade into broader system failures. Network administrators may observe gradual performance degradation followed by complete service outages, making this vulnerability especially concerning for mission-critical infrastructure deployments.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-770, which addresses allocation of resources without limits or with inadequate limits, and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1499.1 for resource exhaustion attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates poor defensive programming practices and inadequate security configuration management within the network operating system. Organizations implementing ONOS in their network infrastructure should prioritize immediate remediation through version updates to patched releases that include proper payload size limitations and memory allocation controls. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be implemented to detect unusual memory consumption patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The recommended mitigation strategy involves applying the vendor-provided patches that enforce proper buffer size limits within Netty's processing pipeline, combined with network-level controls such as rate limiting and traffic shaping to further protect against potential exploitation attempts.