CVE-2018-5793 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-2018-5793 represents a critical heap overflow condition affecting Extreme Networks ExtremeWireless WiNG access points running firmware versions prior to 5.8.6.9 and 5.9.1.3. This flaw exists within the HSD (High Speed Data) process that handles communication over the MINT (Media Independent Tunnel) protocol, which serves as a critical component for wireless network management and data transmission. The vulnerability manifests as a remote, unauthenticated heap overflow, meaning that any attacker with network access can exploit this weakness without requiring prior authentication or credentials to gain system access.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the careful crafting of packets that are transmitted over the MINT protocol interface. When the affected WiNG access point processes these malformed packets, the heap memory management becomes corrupted due to insufficient bounds checking and memory allocation validation. This heap overflow condition allows attackers to potentially overwrite adjacent memory locations, manipulate program execution flow, and execute arbitrary code on the affected device. The vulnerability specifically targets the heap memory structures used by the HSD process, which handles high-speed data transmission and wireless network management functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as it provides attackers with potential remote code execution capabilities on the affected wireless access points. This could enable attackers to compromise the entire wireless network infrastructure, gain unauthorized access to sensitive network data, or establish persistent backdoors within the network. The remote nature of the vulnerability means that attackers can exploit it from outside the network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on wireless infrastructure for critical operations. The unauthenticated aspect removes any barriers to exploitation, making this vulnerability highly attractive to threat actors seeking to compromise wireless network environments.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including firmware updates to versions 5.8.6.9 or 5.9.1.3, which contain patches addressing the heap overflow conditions in the HSD process. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit exposure of affected devices to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect anomalous packet patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and represents a significant risk under ATT&CK framework category T1059 for execution through remote code injection techniques. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper memory management and input validation in network protocol implementations, particularly those handling untrusted data from external sources.