CVE-2023-42358 in ric-plt-e2mgr
Summary
by MITRE • 01/03/2024
An issue was discovered in O-RAN Software Community ric-plt-e2mgr in the G-Release environment, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (DoS) via a crafted request to the E2Manager API component.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-42358 affects the O-RAN Software Community ric-plt-e2mgr component within the G-Release environment, representing a significant security weakness that enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks against the E2Manager API. This issue specifically targets the E2Manager API component which serves as a critical interface for managing and controlling E2 nodes within the O-RAN ecosystem, making it a prime target for adversaries seeking to disrupt network operations.
The technical flaw manifests through improper input validation mechanisms within the E2Manager API component that fails to adequately sanitize or process crafted requests submitted by remote attackers. When maliciously formatted requests are sent to the API endpoint, the system lacks sufficient error handling and validation procedures that would normally prevent malformed inputs from causing system instability or resource exhaustion. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the API's insufficient request processing capabilities to trigger system resource consumption or state corruption that ultimately leads to service disruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service interruption as it compromises the reliability and availability of critical network management functions within the O-RAN infrastructure. Organizations relying on the ric-plt-e2mgr component for E2 node management face potential operational disruptions that could affect network performance, service delivery, and overall system stability. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers can initiate DoS attacks from external networks without requiring physical access or privileged credentials, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in production environments where network availability is paramount for telecommunications services.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes improper input validation as a fundamental weakness in software security that can lead to resource exhaustion and denial of service conditions. The attack pattern corresponds to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1498 sub-technique for Network Denial of Service, where adversaries leverage application-level vulnerabilities to disrupt network services. The weakness in input validation creates an attack surface that allows for resource consumption attacks that can exhaust memory, CPU cycles, or other system resources necessary for normal API operations.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust input validation mechanisms within the E2Manager API component to properly sanitize all incoming requests and establish rate limiting controls to prevent excessive resource consumption. Organizations should also deploy network-level controls such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor and filter suspicious API traffic patterns. Additionally, regular security updates and patches should be applied to the ric-plt-e2mgr component to address known vulnerabilities, while comprehensive monitoring should be implemented to detect unusual API activity that may indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation approach should include thorough code reviews and security testing of API endpoints to identify and address similar validation weaknesses across the entire software stack.