CVE-2017-8213 in SMC2.0
Summary
by MITRE
Huawei SMC2.0 with software of V100R003C10, V100R005C00SPC100, V100R005C00SPC101B001T, V100R005C00SPC102, V100R005C00SPC103, V100R005C00SPC200, V100R005C00SPC201T, V500R002C00, V600R006C00 has an input validation vulnerabilitywhen handle TLS and DTLS handshake with certificate. Due to the insufficient validation of received PKI certificates, remote attackers could exploit this vulnerability to crash the TLS module.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-8213 affects Huawei SMC2.0 systems running specific software versions including V100R003C10 through various V100R005C00SPC releases and V500R002C00 through V600R006C00. This represents a critical input validation flaw within the Secure Multiparty Communication 2.0 platform that handles cryptographic communications using both Transport Layer Security and Datagram Transport Layer Security protocols. The vulnerability manifests specifically during the certificate handling phase of TLS and DTLS handshakes, where the system fails to properly validate received Public Key Infrastructure certificates. This weakness creates a pathway for remote attackers to manipulate the certificate validation process and subsequently cause the TLS module to crash, effectively disrupting secure communication services.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate certificate validation mechanisms within the PKI certificate processing pipeline of the SMC2.0 system. When the system receives certificates during TLS/DTLS handshake procedures, it does not perform sufficient checks on certificate attributes, validity periods, signature verification, or certificate chain integrity. This insufficient validation allows malicious actors to submit malformed or specially crafted certificates that trigger unexpected behavior in the TLS module's processing logic. The vulnerability operates at the protocol implementation level where certificate validation should occur, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited without requiring authentication or prior access to the system. The flaw aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and specifically relates to certificate validation failures that can lead to denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the integrity of secure communications within Huawei SMC2.0 deployments. Remote attackers can leverage this weakness to perform denial of service attacks against TLS services, causing system crashes that may require manual intervention to restore normal operations. In enterprise environments where SMC2.0 serves as a communication platform for critical business applications, such disruptions can severely impact collaboration services, video conferencing, and secure data transmission capabilities. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on Huawei's unified communications infrastructure, where the crash of the TLS module could cascade into broader network communication failures. This vulnerability represents a significant risk to organizations that depend on secure communication protocols for their operational continuity.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-8213 should prioritize immediate software updates from Huawei addressing the certificate validation flaws in affected versions. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit exposure of vulnerable SMC2.0 systems and monitor for suspicious certificate-related traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Network administrators should consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify anomalous TLS handshake behaviors and certificate processing patterns. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service highlights the importance of monitoring for abnormal service disruption patterns. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their SMC2.0 deployments to identify all affected versions and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place. System hardening measures including limiting certificate import capabilities and implementing additional validation layers can provide additional defense-in-depth against potential exploitation attempts.