CVE-2020-35780 in NMS300
Summary
by MITRE • 12/30/2020
NETGEAR NMS300 devices before 1.6.0.27 are affected by denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2020
The vulnerability identified in NETGEAR NMS300 devices prior to firmware version 1.6.0.27 represents a critical denial of service condition that compromises the availability of network management services. This device operates as a network monitoring system designed to provide centralized management and monitoring capabilities for enterprise networks, making it a prime target for adversaries seeking to disrupt business operations. The flaw manifests in the device's handling of specific network traffic patterns or command sequences that trigger unexpected behavior in the underlying operating system or network stack implementation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and error handling mechanisms within the device's network processing components. When malformed packets or specially crafted requests are transmitted to the affected devices, the system fails to properly sanitize incoming data, leading to resource exhaustion or process termination that results in complete service disruption. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-400 which categorizes "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" as a fundamental weakness that can lead to denial of service conditions. The device's failure to implement proper bounds checking and input sanitization creates an attack surface where malicious actors can exploit memory management flaws or thread handling inconsistencies.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service interruption to potentially compromise entire network monitoring infrastructures. Network administrators rely on NMS300 devices to maintain visibility into their network operations, and a denial of service condition can result in complete loss of monitoring capabilities for extended periods. This disruption directly affects incident response procedures and network troubleshooting activities that depend on real-time data collection from these devices. The vulnerability may be exploited through various attack vectors including network-based probing or by leveraging other compromised systems within the network to reach the vulnerable device.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1498 which covers "Network Denial of Service" and T1566 which addresses "Phishing for Information". Attackers could potentially leverage this weakness as part of a broader campaign targeting network infrastructure components, using it to create diversionary attacks or as a stepping stone for more sophisticated operations. Organizations with multiple NMS300 devices deployed across their network infrastructure face compounded risk as a single compromised device can potentially be used to propagate the denial of service condition to other network management systems.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate firmware updates to version 1.6.0.27 or later, which contain patches addressing the underlying resource handling flaws. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit exposure of these devices to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also implement regular vulnerability assessments targeting network infrastructure components and establish incident response procedures specifically designed for dealing with denial of service conditions in network management systems. The remediation process must include thorough testing of updated firmware in controlled environments before deployment to ensure compatibility with existing network configurations and avoid introducing additional operational disruptions.