CVE-2017-15067 in Puma
Summary
by MITRE
The Intel Puma 5, 6, and 7 chips, as used on various Compal devices, allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (performance degradation) by sending a moderate volume of small packets to many TCP or UDP ports. NOTE: Intel has advised that they are only a hardware manufacturer in this instance; they do NOT own the mitigation distribution channel for these chips. Any details about mitigations would need to come from Compal.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/22/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-15067 represents a significant hardware-level weakness in Intel Puma 5, 6, and 7 chipsets that are integrated into various Compal devices. This flaw manifests as a remote denial of service condition that can severely impact system performance through relatively simple attack vectors. The vulnerability specifically affects network processing capabilities within these chipsets, creating a scenario where legitimate network traffic can be disrupted by malicious actors. The attack requires only a moderate volume of small packets to be sent across multiple TCP or UDP ports, making it particularly concerning due to its low resource requirements and high impact potential. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of network protocol processing flaws that can be exploited to degrade system performance rather than completely crash systems, which is characteristic of certain classes of denial of service attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from how the Puma chipsets handle incoming network packets at the hardware level. When these chips receive small packets distributed across many different ports simultaneously, they experience performance degradation that manifests as system slowdowns or complete service unavailability. The chipset's packet processing mechanisms appear to lack adequate rate limiting or resource management controls that would prevent such exploitation. This flaw operates at the network interface controller level, where the hardware fails to properly handle concurrent packet processing scenarios, leading to resource exhaustion or inefficient processing that impacts overall system responsiveness. From a cybersecurity perspective, this represents a hardware-level vulnerability that bypasses traditional software-based security measures and requires specialized mitigation approaches.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-15067 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially affect critical business operations where network availability is essential. Organizations relying on devices containing these chipsets may experience intermittent connectivity issues, application slowdowns, or complete network service outages that can result in significant financial losses. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers can exploit it from anywhere on the network, without requiring physical access or elevated privileges. This characteristic aligns with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under network infiltration and denial of service techniques. The moderate packet volume requirement makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be executed by automated tools without significant computational resources, potentially enabling large-scale attacks against multiple targets simultaneously.
The mitigation landscape for this vulnerability is complex due to the hardware-centric nature of the flaw. As noted in the original advisory, Intel's role is limited to manufacturing the affected hardware components, and they do not control the distribution channels for security updates or patches. This creates a unique challenge where device manufacturers like Compal must develop and deploy specific firmware or hardware updates to address the issue. The vulnerability's classification as a hardware-level flaw means that traditional software patches cannot resolve the underlying problem, requiring either firmware modifications or complete hardware replacement. This situation reflects a broader concern in cybersecurity regarding hardware vendors' responsibility for addressing vulnerabilities in their components, particularly when these components are integrated into third-party devices. Organizations should implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect anomalous packet patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, while also maintaining communication with device vendors to track available mitigation strategies. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of considering hardware-level security implications during system design and procurement processes, as well as the need for coordinated response approaches between hardware manufacturers and device vendors.