CVE-2017-17300 in SXXXX
Summary
by MITRE
Huawei S12700 V200R008C00, V200R009C00, S5700 V200R007C00, V200R008C00, V200R009C00, S6700 V200R008C00, V200R009C00, S7700 V200R008C00, V200R009C00, S9700 V200R008C00, V200R009C00 have a numeric errors vulnerability. An unauthenticated, remote attacker may send specific TCP messages with keychain authentication option to the affected products. Due to the improper validation of the messages, it will cause numeric errors when handling the messages. Successful exploit will cause the affected products to reset.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2023
This vulnerability affects multiple Huawei network switching platforms including S12700, S5700, S6700, S7700, and S9700 series running specific software versions. The flaw resides in the handling of TCP messages with keychain authentication options, representing a critical weakness in the network device's protocol processing capabilities. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly handle malformed numeric values within the authentication headers, creating a condition where numeric errors occur during message processing. This represents a classic example of improper input validation that can lead to denial of service conditions and system instability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of TCP packet processing logic within Huawei's network operating systems. When the affected devices receive specially crafted TCP messages containing malformed keychain authentication data, the parsing routines fail to properly validate the numeric fields within the authentication option. This leads to numeric overflow or underflow conditions that cause the system to crash and reset. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication credentials to exploit, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can send TCP packets to the target device. This aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of numeric values, and represents a direct violation of secure coding practices for network protocol implementations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise network availability and integrity. Network administrators face the risk of unauthorized attackers causing repeated device resets, leading to extended downtime and potential service degradation across affected network segments. The automatic reset behavior means that the attack can be repeated continuously, creating sustained denial of service conditions that are difficult to mitigate without immediate patching. In enterprise environments where these switches form the core of network infrastructure, such vulnerabilities can result in significant business disruption and may indicate broader security weaknesses in the network architecture. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of implementing proper input validation and error handling mechanisms in network protocol implementations, as specified by various cybersecurity frameworks including those referenced in the ATT&CK framework for network protocol exploitation techniques.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate deployment of official Huawei security patches addressing the numeric validation errors in the TCP processing modules. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation and access control measures to limit exposure of affected devices to untrusted networks. Monitoring for suspicious TCP traffic patterns and implementing intrusion detection systems can help identify exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their network infrastructure to identify similar numeric validation issues in other network equipment and software components. The vulnerability underscores the critical need for regular security updates and comprehensive testing of network protocol implementations before deployment in production environments.