CVE-2018-0249 in Aironet 1800
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability when handling incoming 802.11 Association Requests for Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Point (APs) on Qualcomm Atheros (QCA) based hardware platforms could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected system. A successful exploit could prevent new clients from joining the AP. The vulnerability is due to incorrect handling of malformed or invalid 802.11 Association Requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a malformed stream of 802.11 Association Requests to the local interface of the targeted device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a DoS situation on an affected system, causing new client 802.11 Association Requests to fail. This vulnerability affects the following Cisco products: Aironet 1560 Series Access Points, Aironet 1810 Series OfficeExtend Access Points, Aironet 1810w Series Access Points, Aironet 1815 Series Access Points, Aironet 1830 Series Access Points, Aironet 1850 Series Access Points, Aironet 2800 Series Access Points, Aironet 3800 Series Access Points. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvg02116.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0249 represents a critical denial of service weakness affecting Cisco Aironet 1800 Series Access Points deployed on Qualcomm Atheros QCA based hardware platforms. This flaw manifests specifically during the processing of 802.11 Association Requests, which are fundamental components of wireless network authentication and connection establishment. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the wireless access point firmware, creating a pathway for malicious actors to disrupt legitimate network operations without requiring authentication credentials. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires only adjacent network proximity, making it exploitable by attackers within the physical vicinity of targeted wireless infrastructure. This characteristic aligns with the ATT&CK framework's network infiltration techniques where adversaries leverage physical proximity to compromise network devices. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass complete network access control failure, as new client associations become impossible following exploitation.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of malformed 802.11 Association Request frames that contain invalid or unexpected data structures. When the affected access points receive these crafted packets, their processing logic fails to properly validate incoming frames, leading to system instability and eventual crash conditions. This improper input handling falls under CWE-20, which specifically addresses "Improper Input Validation" in software systems. The vulnerability's exploitation mechanism involves sending a stream of malformed Association Requests to the local interface of the targeted device, creating a sustained DoS condition that prevents legitimate wireless clients from establishing connections. The attack demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-400, "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption," as the malformed requests consume system resources without proper bounds checking or resource management. The specific implementation flaw affects the wireless protocol stack's ability to process incoming authentication frames, causing the access point to become unresponsive to legitimate association attempts. This weakness is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where wireless access points serve as critical network infrastructure components.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-0249 extends far beyond simple network disruption, potentially affecting business continuity and wireless network availability across enterprise and institutional deployments. When successfully exploited, the vulnerability creates a persistent denial of service condition that prevents new wireless clients from connecting to the affected access points, effectively isolating network users from wireless services. This disruption can cascade through network operations, particularly in environments where wireless connectivity is essential for business operations, mobile workforces, or IoT device connectivity. The vulnerability affects multiple Cisco Aironet product lines including 1560, 1810, 1815, 1830, 1850, 2800, and 3800 Series devices, indicating a widespread impact across Cisco's wireless access point portfolio. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered by any adjacent attacker with minimal technical expertise. This characteristic places the vulnerability within the ATT&CK framework's category of "Remote Services" attacks where adversaries can leverage network protocols to compromise system availability. The DoS condition caused by this vulnerability can persist until the affected access point is manually rebooted or the firmware is updated, creating extended periods of network disruption.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-0249 should focus on both immediate defensive measures and long-term firmware updates to address the underlying implementation flaw. Cisco has released security advisories and firmware updates specifically addressing this vulnerability, which should be implemented immediately across all affected devices within the network infrastructure. Network administrators should consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit adjacent network access to wireless infrastructure, reducing the attack surface for this particular vulnerability. The implementation of wireless intrusion detection systems can help identify and alert on suspicious Association Request patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, network monitoring should include detection of unusual traffic patterns or connection failures that could indicate DoS conditions caused by this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider deploying redundant access points to maintain network availability during patching operations or in case of successful exploitation. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-20 and its potential for causing resource exhaustion underscores the importance of implementing proper input validation and resource management within wireless network infrastructure. Security teams should also review their incident response procedures to ensure rapid deployment of patches and recovery procedures when this vulnerability is detected in their environment.