CVE-2018-7039 in CCN-lite
Summary
by MITRE
CCN-lite 2.0.0 Beta allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (buffer overflow) or possibly have unspecified other impact because the ccnl_ndntlv_prependBlob function in ccnl-pkt-ndntlv.c can be called with wrong arguments. Specifically, there is an incorrect integer data type causing a negative third argument in some cases of crafted TLV data with inconsistent length information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7039 resides within CCN-lite version 2.0.0 Beta, a software implementation of the Content-Centric Networking (CCN) protocol stack. This flaw represents a critical security issue that can be exploited by remote attackers to disrupt system operations and potentially execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of TLV (Type-Length-Value) encoded data structures within the ccnl_ndntlv_prependBlob function, which is part of the ccnl-pkt-ndntlv.c source file. The issue manifests when the function receives malformed arguments due to incorrect integer data type handling during the processing of crafted TLV data sequences.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability can be traced to a specific integer overflow condition that occurs when processing inconsistent length information within TLV data structures. When maliciously crafted TLV data is processed, the function receives a negative third argument due to improper type casting or integer truncation. This incorrect integer data type handling creates a buffer overflow condition that can be leveraged to disrupt normal program execution. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-121 as a stack-based buffer overflow, which occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of a fixed-length buffer. The specific implementation flaw involves the manipulation of integer values that should represent data lengths but instead become negative values due to arithmetic overflow or incorrect type conversion.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to cause system crashes, application instability, and in some cases, arbitrary code execution. The buffer overflow condition creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate program control flow, potentially leading to privilege escalation or complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects the core packet processing functionality of CCN-lite, making it particularly dangerous for network infrastructure components that rely on this software. Attackers can craft specific TLV packets that trigger the overflow condition, causing the application to behave unpredictably and potentially allowing for memory corruption that could be exploited for further compromise.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-7039 should focus on immediate patching of the affected CCN-lite implementation to address the integer type handling issue in the ccnl_ndntlv_prependBlob function. Organizations should implement input validation measures that enforce strict TLV length consistency checks and reject malformed data before it reaches the vulnerable function. Network segmentation and access controls can help limit the attack surface by restricting who can send crafted TLV data to affected systems. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1499.004 for Network Denial of Service, highlighting the importance of implementing robust input sanitization and boundary checking mechanisms. Additional defensive measures include deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious TLV packet patterns and implementing monitoring for abnormal application behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security updates and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to ensure that similar integer handling issues do not exist in other components of the CCN-lite stack or related network protocols.