CVE-2023-41360 in FRRouting
Summary
by MITRE • 08/29/2023
An issue was discovered in FRRouting FRR through 9.0. bgpd/bgp_packet.c can read the initial byte of the ORF header in an ahead-of-stream situation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-41360 affects FRRouting FRR versions through 9.0 and specifically targets the bgpd component responsible for handling BGP protocol communications. This issue resides within the bgp_packet.c file where the software processes incoming BGP packets and handles the ORF (Open Shortest Path First) header information. The flaw manifests when the system attempts to read the initial byte of the ORF header before the complete packet data has been received, creating a scenario where the application accesses memory that has not yet been properly initialized or populated with valid data.
This vulnerability represents a classic buffer overread condition that falls under CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities. The issue occurs during the packet processing phase when bgpd tries to parse the ORF header structure without proper validation of the data stream's readiness. The ahead-of-stream situation creates a race condition where the application assumes sufficient data is available for parsing, but in reality, the packet data is still being transmitted or buffered, leading to the reading of uninitialized or corrupted memory locations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple memory access errors and can potentially lead to denial of service conditions or more severe exploitation scenarios. When the bgpd process encounters malformed or unexpected packet sequences, particularly those involving ORF headers, the improper memory access can cause the routing daemon to crash or behave unpredictably. This disruption affects the BGP routing protocol functionality, potentially causing routing table inconsistencies, session termination, or complete service unavailability for the affected network infrastructure.
Network infrastructure components running FRRouting versions prior to 9.1 are at risk of exploitation, particularly in environments where BGP sessions are actively maintained with peers that might send malformed ORF header data. The vulnerability is especially concerning in production networks where routing stability and uptime are critical, as any disruption to bgpd processes can cascade into larger network outages. Attackers could potentially leverage this issue to create persistent denial of service conditions against routing services, making it a significant concern for network operators and security teams responsible for maintaining stable routing infrastructure.
The recommended mitigation involves upgrading to FRRouting version 9.1 or later, where the problematic packet parsing logic has been corrected to properly validate data stream readiness before attempting to read ORF header information. Additionally, network administrators should implement monitoring for unusual BGP packet patterns and consider implementing rate limiting or filtering mechanisms to prevent malformed packet sequences from reaching the bgpd process. From a defensive perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 which covers network denial of service attacks, and the remediation approach should include proper input validation and memory safety checks as recommended in the CWE guidelines for preventing out-of-bounds read conditions.