CVE-2020-6867 in ZENIC ONE R22b
Summary
by MITRE
ZTE's SDON controller is impacted by the resource management error vulnerability. When RPC is frequently called by other applications in the case of mass traffic data in the system, it will result in no response for a long time and memory overflow risk. This affects: ZENIC ONE R22b versions V16.19.10P02SP002 and V16.19.10P02SP005.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-6867 affects ZTE's SDON controller software, specifically impacting the resource management functionality within the system. This issue manifests when remote procedure calls are executed frequently by external applications during periods of high traffic data loads, creating a significant operational disruption. The root cause lies in the controller's inability to properly manage system resources under stress conditions, leading to extended periods of unresponsiveness and potential memory overflow scenarios that can compromise the overall stability and availability of the network infrastructure.
The technical flaw represents a classic resource exhaustion vulnerability that aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes issues related to uncontrolled resource consumption in software systems. When multiple applications simultaneously invoke RPC functions while the system processes substantial traffic data, the controller's memory management mechanisms become overwhelmed, resulting in the system becoming unresponsive for extended periods. This behavior creates a denial of service condition that can severely impact network operations and service availability, particularly in environments where continuous connectivity is critical for business operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple performance degradation to potentially compromising the entire network control plane functionality. During high traffic periods, the controller may experience complete unresponsiveness, preventing administrators from managing network resources effectively and potentially causing cascading failures throughout the SDON infrastructure. The memory overflow risk introduces additional security concerns as it can potentially be exploited to cause system crashes or create conditions that might allow for further malicious exploitation. This vulnerability affects specific ZENIC ONE R22b versions V16.19.10P02SP002 and V16.19.10P02SP005, making these particular software releases susceptible to the resource management errors that can occur under stress conditions.
The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, which involves network denial of service attacks through resource exhaustion. Organizations utilizing affected ZTE SDON controllers should prioritize immediate remediation efforts including firmware updates and system patches provided by ZTE to address the underlying resource management issues. Network administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect unusual RPC activity patterns that could indicate the vulnerability being exploited, while also establishing proper traffic management policies to prevent excessive load conditions that could trigger the resource exhaustion scenario. Additionally, implementing rate limiting mechanisms for RPC calls and ensuring adequate system resource allocation can help mitigate the risk of encountering this vulnerability in production environments.