CVE-2018-5790 in Networks ExtremeWireless WiNG
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Extreme Networks ExtremeWireless WiNG 5.x before 5.8.6.9 and 5.9.x before 5.9.1.3. There is Remote, Unauthenticated "Global" Denial of Service in the RIM (Radio Interface Module) over the MINT (Media Independent Tunnel) Protocol on the WiNG Access Point via crafted packets.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/01/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-5790 represents a critical remote denial of service flaw affecting Extreme Networks ExtremeWireless WiNG access points running versions prior to 5.8.6.9 and 5.9.1.3. This issue specifically targets the Radio Interface Module within the WiNG architecture, creating a significant operational risk for wireless network infrastructure. The vulnerability exists within the MINT (Media Independent Tunnel) protocol implementation, which serves as a critical communication channel between access points and wireless controllers. The flaw allows an attacker to remotely trigger a complete denial of service condition without requiring authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise wireless networks that depend on continuous availability.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of crafted packets within the RIM component of the WiNG system. When maliciously constructed packets are transmitted to the affected access points over the MINT protocol, they cause the Radio Interface Module to crash or become unresponsive, effectively rendering the wireless access point incapable of serving clients. This behavior aligns with CWE-121, which describes buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-400, which covers resource exhaustion vulnerabilities. The attack vector operates over standard wireless network protocols, making it difficult to detect and prevent through conventional network monitoring tools. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects the core wireless infrastructure components, potentially disrupting business operations across large enterprise networks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass significant business continuity concerns. Organizations relying on ExtremeWireless infrastructure for wireless connectivity face potential downtime that could affect productivity, customer service, and operational efficiency. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter, potentially targeting multiple access points simultaneously. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1499.001, which covers network denial of service attacks, and represents a critical weakness in the network infrastructure security posture. The affected versions suggest that this issue was present across multiple release branches, indicating a systemic flaw in the wireless controller implementation that required patching across different software versions.
Organizations must implement immediate mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability, including applying the vendor-provided patches for WiNG versions 5.8.6.9 and 5.9.1.3. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous packet patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The implementation of network access control measures and firewall rules to restrict access to the MINT protocol ports can provide additional defense-in-depth. Security teams should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems capable of identifying malformed packets targeting this specific vulnerability. Regular vulnerability assessments and network configuration reviews should be conducted to ensure that similar issues are not present in other network infrastructure components. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining current security patches for wireless infrastructure and demonstrates the potential for remote exploitation to cause widespread service disruption in enterprise environments.