CVE-2024-1765 in quiche
Summary
by MITRE • 03/12/2024
Cloudflare Quiche (through version 0.19.1/0.20.0) was affected by an unlimited resource allocation vulnerability causing rapid increase of memory usage of the system running quiche server or client. A remote attacker could take advantage of this vulnerability by repeatedly sending an unlimited number of 1-RTT CRYPTO frames after previously completing the QUIC handshake. Exploitation was possible for the duration of the connection which could be extended by the attacker. quiche 0.19.2 and 0.20.1 are the earliest versions containing the fix for this issue.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-1765 affects Cloudflare Quiche library versions through 0.19.1 and 0.20.0, representing a critical resource exhaustion flaw that can lead to system instability and potential denial of service conditions. This issue manifests as unlimited memory allocation during QUIC protocol operations, specifically targeting the handling of 1-RTT CRYPTO frames that are sent repeatedly after completing the initial handshake process. The flaw exists within the protocol implementation's memory management mechanisms, where the system fails to properly constrain resource consumption when processing these specific frame types, allowing for rapid and unbounded memory growth that can overwhelm system resources.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a carefully crafted sequence of network communications that leverages the QUIC protocol's established connection state. Attackers can repeatedly transmit 1-RTT CRYPTO frames to a target system running quiche, maintaining the connection state while continuously consuming memory resources without proper bounds checking. This type of attack falls under the CWE-400 category of "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" and represents a specific implementation weakness in how the library handles memory allocation for cryptographic frame processing. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it operates over the network and requires minimal privileges to execute, making it accessible to remote adversaries who can maintain the connection indefinitely.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple resource exhaustion, creating potential cascading effects on system stability and service availability. When exploited successfully, the rapid memory allocation can cause the target system to experience significant performance degradation, application crashes, or complete system instability depending on the available memory resources. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability aspect of the CIA security triad, potentially rendering services inaccessible to legitimate users while consuming excessive computational resources. The duration of the attack can be extended indefinitely as long as the connection remains active, allowing attackers to maintain persistent resource consumption and potentially cause extended service disruption.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-1765 require immediate deployment of patched versions 0.19.2 and 0.20.1, which contain the necessary code modifications to properly constrain memory allocation during CRYPTO frame processing. Network administrators should prioritize updating all systems running affected quiche versions, implementing proper monitoring to detect unusual memory consumption patterns, and establishing connection rate limiting measures to prevent exploitation attempts. The fix addresses the underlying implementation issue by introducing proper bounds checking for memory allocation during QUIC frame processing, aligning with the ATT&CK technique of T1499.004 for Resource Hijacking. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and intrusion detection systems to identify and block suspicious traffic patterns associated with this specific exploitation method, ensuring comprehensive protection against both current and potential future variants of resource exhaustion attacks targeting QUIC implementations.