CVE-2018-5792 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 a Remote, Unauthenticated Heap Overflow in the HSD Process 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-2018-5792 represents a critical heap overflow flaw within the Extreme Networks ExtremeWireless WiNG access point firmware affecting versions prior to 5.8.6.9 and 5.9.1.3. This issue specifically targets the HSD Process component that handles communication through the MINT (Media Independent Tunnel) protocol, which serves as a crucial mechanism for wireless network management and control. The vulnerability exists in the way the system processes incoming packets through this protocol, creating a potential attack vector that could be exploited by remote unauthenticated adversaries.
The technical exploitation of this heap overflow occurs when maliciously crafted packets are transmitted to the affected access point through the MINT protocol interface. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the HSD Process, which fails to properly sanitize or bounds-check incoming data packets before processing them in heap memory structures. This vulnerability falls under CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, where attacker-controlled data can overwrite adjacent heap memory regions, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system instability. The heap overflow specifically affects the memory allocation patterns used by the HSD Process during packet handling, creating opportunities for memory corruption that can be leveraged for privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it presents a significant risk to wireless network infrastructure security. Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability without requiring authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise wireless networks where access points are often deployed in unsecured locations. Successful exploitation could result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to the wireless network infrastructure, potentially leading to data breaches, man-in-the-middle attacks, or lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability affects organizations using Extreme Networks WiNG 5.x firmware, which represents a substantial portion of enterprise wireless deployments, creating widespread potential impact across multiple sectors including healthcare, finance, and government organizations.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates to versions 5.8.6.9 or 5.9.1.3, which contain patches addressing the heap overflow conditions. Network segmentation strategies should be employed to isolate affected access points from critical network segments, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous packet patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1210, exploitation of remote services, and T1068, local privilege escalation, as it provides a pathway for attackers to establish persistent access to wireless infrastructure. Additionally, implementing network access controls and firewall rules to restrict MINT protocol traffic to only trusted sources can provide additional defensive layers. Regular vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify other potential memory corruption vulnerabilities in network infrastructure components, while security teams should maintain updated incident response procedures specifically addressing wireless network compromises to ensure rapid remediation of similar threats.