CVE-2017-17162 in Secospace
Summary
by MITRE
Huawei Secospace USG6600 V500R001C30SPC100, Secospace USG6600 V500R001C30SPC200, Secospace USG6600 V500R001C30SPC300, USG9500 V500R001C30SPC100, USG9500 V500R001C30SPC200, USG9500 V500R001C30SPC300 have a memory leak vulnerability due to memory don't be released when an local authenticated attacker execute special commands many times. An attacker could exploit it to cause memory leak, which may further lead to system exceptions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-17162 affects Huawei Secospace USG6600 and USG9500 firewall appliances running specific software versions including V500R001C30SPC100, V500R001C30SPC200, and V500R001C30SPC300. This memory leak vulnerability represents a critical flaw in the device's resource management capabilities, specifically within the command processing subsystem. The issue manifests when local authenticated attackers repeatedly execute specially crafted commands against the firewall's management interface, leading to progressive memory consumption without proper deallocation. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-401 category of "Improper Release of Memory" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for Network Denial of Service by consuming system resources. The affected devices operate under a privilege model where authentication is required to access administrative functions, but once authenticated, the attacker can leverage this flaw to systematically deplete available memory resources through repeated command execution patterns.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves a specific sequence of command invocations that trigger memory allocation without corresponding deallocation. When an authenticated user executes certain administrative commands multiple times, the firewall's memory management system fails to properly release allocated memory blocks, resulting in a gradual accumulation of memory consumption. This process continues until the device's memory resources become exhausted, potentially causing system instability, application crashes, or complete service disruption. The memory leak occurs within the firewall's command processing engine, where temporary memory allocations are created for processing administrative requests but are not properly freed from memory. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple resource consumption as it can lead to cascading failures where the device becomes unresponsive to legitimate administrative commands, creating a denial of service condition that affects network security operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability presents significant risks to network infrastructure security and availability. Organizations relying on these Huawei firewalls for network protection face potential service disruption when attackers exploit this memory leak, particularly in environments where continuous network monitoring and security enforcement are critical. The vulnerability can be exploited by malicious insiders or attackers who have gained local authenticated access to the firewall's administrative interface, making it particularly concerning for environments where multiple administrators have access. The memory exhaustion can result in complete system failure requiring manual intervention, including power cycling or firmware reinstallation, which creates operational downtime and potential security gaps during recovery periods. Network administrators may observe gradual performance degradation before complete system failure, making early detection challenging and potentially allowing attackers to maintain persistent access while consuming resources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of several security controls and operational procedures. Organizations should apply the latest firmware updates provided by Huawei to address the memory leak issue, as the vendor has released patches specifically targeting this vulnerability. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit local administrative access to only essential personnel, reducing the attack surface for potential exploitation. Monitoring systems should be implemented to detect unusual command execution patterns or memory usage spikes that could indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include verification of firmware versions to ensure all affected devices are properly updated. Additionally, implementing network access controls to restrict local administrative access and establishing privileged access management procedures can help prevent unauthorized users from exploiting this vulnerability. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of updated firmware in controlled environments before deployment to production networks to ensure compatibility and prevent unintended service disruptions.