CVE-2023-46261 in Avalanche
Summary
by MITRE • 12/19/2023
An attacker sending specially crafted data packets to the Mobile Device Server can cause memory corruption which could result to a Denial of Service (DoS) or code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-46261 represents a critical security flaw within Mobile Device Server implementations that could enable remote attackers to compromise system integrity through carefully constructed network traffic. This vulnerability specifically targets the processing of incoming data packets, where the server fails to properly validate or sanitize incoming information before attempting to handle it. The flaw manifests when the Mobile Device Server receives malformed or specially crafted data packets that trigger unexpected behavior in the memory management subsystem, creating conditions that lead to memory corruption.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it within the realm of memory safety issues, which are commonly categorized under CWE-121 as insufficient memory allocation or deallocation errors. When the server processes these malicious packets, the improper handling of input data causes memory corruption that can manifest in various ways including heap corruption, stack overflow, or buffer overflows depending on the specific implementation details. The corruption occurs at the memory management level where the server's processing logic fails to properly validate packet boundaries or data structures, leading to unpredictable memory state changes.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations relying on Mobile Device Servers for network connectivity, device management, or mobile communication services. The potential impact extends beyond simple denial of service to include possible remote code execution capabilities, making it particularly dangerous for environments where these servers handle sensitive communications or serve as gateways to critical infrastructure. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to systems, disrupt services, or potentially establish persistent access points within network environments.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is particularly concerning as Mobile Device Servers typically operate in network environments where they must accept and process data from various mobile devices and network endpoints without extensive validation. This makes the server inherently vulnerable to crafted attacks from any source that can establish communication with the targeted service. The vulnerability's exploitability is enhanced by the fact that it requires minimal privileges to trigger, as attackers only need to send specially crafted packets to the server, making it an attractive target for automated exploitation campaigns.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-46261 should focus on implementing robust input validation mechanisms that properly sanitize all incoming data before processing, along with memory protection features such as address space layout randomization and stack canaries. Organizations should also deploy network segmentation to limit access to Mobile Device Servers and implement intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious packet patterns. The remediation approach should include immediate patch deployment from vendors, followed by comprehensive network monitoring to detect any exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing proper logging and monitoring of server memory usage can help detect early signs of memory corruption before full exploitation occurs, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1489 for system network configuration modification and T1071.004 for application layer protocols.