CVE-2018-19155 in navcoin
Summary
by MITRE
navcoin through 4.3.0 (a chain-based proof-of-stake cryptocurrency) allows a remote denial of service. The attacker sends invalid headers/blocks. The attack requires no stake and can fill the victim's disk and RAM.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-19155 represents a critical remote denial of service flaw within the NavCoin cryptocurrency protocol version 4.3.0 and earlier. This weakness stems from inadequate validation mechanisms within the blockchain node implementation, specifically concerning the processing of header and block data received from network peers. The flaw allows malicious actors to exploit the network by transmitting malformed or invalid blockchain data structures that should normally be rejected during standard consensus validation processes. The vulnerability affects the core operational integrity of NavCoin nodes by creating a scenario where legitimate network participants can be overwhelmed through resource exhaustion attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits fundamental weaknesses in the node's data validation routines and memory management systems. When nodes receive invalid headers or blocks from attackers, the processing logic fails to properly reject these malformed structures early in the validation pipeline. Instead, the nodes proceed to store and process these invalid data elements, leading to progressive consumption of both disk storage and random access memory resources. The attack mechanism requires no stake participation from the attacker, making it particularly dangerous as it can be executed by anyone with network access to the target node. This characteristic aligns with CWE-400 vulnerability classification, which encompasses issues related to resource exhaustion and denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the entire blockchain network stability. Attackers can systematically fill victim nodes' storage capacity and memory resources through continuous injection of invalid data, effectively rendering the nodes unusable for legitimate blockchain operations. The resource exhaustion occurs at multiple levels including disk space consumption through log file growth and memory allocation for processing invalid blocks, creating cascading failures that may propagate across the network. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which focuses on network denial of service attacks targeting system resources. The attack's effectiveness lies in its ability to create sustained resource exhaustion without requiring significant computational investment or network bandwidth, making it particularly insidious.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of enhanced data validation protocols within the node software. Network operators should implement rate limiting mechanisms to restrict the number of invalid blocks processed within specific time intervals, alongside enhanced filtering of suspicious network traffic patterns. The recommended approach involves upgrading to patched versions of the NavCoin software where the validation routines have been strengthened to immediately reject malformed headers and blocks before resource allocation occurs. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing automated monitoring systems that detect unusual resource consumption patterns and trigger alerts when nodes approach critical resource thresholds. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and resource management in distributed consensus systems, emphasizing that all network participants must maintain robust defenses against malformed data injection attacks that can compromise system availability and overall network security posture.