CVE-2018-0256 in Packet Data Network Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the peer-to-peer message processing functionality of Cisco Packet Data Network Gateway could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause the Session Manager (SESSMGR) process on an affected device to restart, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability is due to incorrect validation of peer-to-peer packet headers. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted peer-to-peer packet through an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the SESSMGR process on the affected device to restart unexpectedly, which could briefly impact traffic while the SESSMGR process restarts and result in a DoS condition. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvg88786.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/30/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0256 resides within the peer-to-peer message processing capabilities of Cisco Packet Data Network Gateway devices, specifically targeting the Session Manager (SESSMGR) process. This flaw represents a critical weakness in the network infrastructure's ability to maintain continuous operation and service availability. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation mechanisms within the peer-to-peer packet header processing logic, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers without requiring authentication credentials. The affected Cisco devices operate within the broader telecommunications infrastructure, making them attractive targets for adversaries seeking to disrupt critical network services and potentially gain leverage for more sophisticated attacks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of peer-to-peer packet headers that traverse the affected Cisco Packet Data Network Gateway. When the SESSMGR process receives a malformed or crafted packet, the insufficient input validation causes the process to crash and subsequently restart automatically. This process restart creates a brief service interruption that can be classified as a denial of service condition, disrupting the normal flow of network traffic and potentially affecting multiple connected services. The vulnerability specifically targets the Session Manager process which is responsible for managing session information and maintaining connectivity states for network users, making the disruption particularly impactful for network operations and service availability.
From an operational impact perspective, the vulnerability presents a significant risk to network availability and reliability, particularly in environments where continuous service delivery is critical. The DoS condition caused by the SESSMGR process restart can result in temporary service degradation or complete service interruption, affecting network users and potentially causing cascading failures throughout connected systems. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that any remote attacker with access to the network can exploit this vulnerability, removing any requirement for privileged credentials or specialized access. This characteristic makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by a wide range of threat actors, from script kiddies to organized cybercriminals and nation-state actors.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations to protect their network infrastructure and maintain service availability. Cisco has released software updates and patches specifically addressing this vulnerability, which should be deployed as soon as possible to eliminate the risk of exploitation. Network segmentation strategies can provide additional protection by limiting the attack surface and preventing unauthorized access to critical network components. Monitoring and logging capabilities should be enhanced to detect anomalous peer-to-peer packet traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and represents a clear example of how insufficient validation can lead to process termination and service disruption. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving denial of service and process manipulation, demonstrating how seemingly minor validation flaws can create significant operational impacts. Network administrators should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious packet header patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures to quickly address any successful attacks.