CVE-2024-41164 in BIG-IP
Summary
by MITRE • 08/14/2024
When TCP profile with Multipath TCP enabled (MPTCP) is configured on a Virtual Server, undisclosed traffic along with conditions beyond the attackers control can cause TMM to terminate.
Note: Software versions which have reached End of Technical Support (EoTS) are not evaluated.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/20/2024
This vulnerability affects F5 BIG-IP systems when Multipath TCP functionality is enabled on virtual servers, creating a potential denial of service condition that can result in critical system termination. The issue manifests when specific traffic patterns interact with the Traffic Management Module (TMM) under conditions that are not fully specified in the description, suggesting complex environmental dependencies that may be difficult to replicate in controlled testing scenarios. The vulnerability represents a significant operational risk as it can cause complete service disruption through unexpected TMM termination, impacting availability of critical network services.
The technical flaw stems from how the TMM processes traffic when Multipath TCP is enabled, indicating a potential issue in the TCP stack implementation or connection handling logic. The unspecified nature of the "undisclosed traffic" and "conditions beyond the attackers control" suggests that the vulnerability may be triggered by specific packet sequences, timing variations, or network conditions that could be either accidental or potentially exploitable. This aligns with common patterns found in TCP protocol implementations where edge cases in connection management can lead to resource exhaustion or state corruption. The vulnerability may be related to improper handling of MPTCP connection states or data flow management that causes the TMM process to crash or terminate unexpectedly.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it can result in complete service disruption for applications relying on F5 BIG-IP virtual servers with MPTCP enabled. When the TMM terminates, all active connections are dropped and the virtual server becomes unavailable until the system recovers or is manually restarted. This can lead to extended downtime for critical business applications, potentially affecting customer experience and business continuity. The vulnerability affects systems in production environments where MPTCP is actively configured, making it particularly concerning for organizations that depend on advanced networking features for performance optimization or redundancy.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate configuration changes to disable MPTCP on affected virtual servers until a permanent fix is available through F5 security updates or patches. Organizations should implement monitoring to detect TMM termination events and establish automated alerting for such conditions. Network segmentation and access controls can help limit potential exploitation by restricting access to MPTCP-enabled virtual servers to trusted sources only. Additionally, maintaining up-to-date system configurations and regularly reviewing security advisories from F5 is crucial for preventing exploitation. This vulnerability may be related to CWE-248 Uncaught Exception patterns where an unexpected condition causes process termination, and could potentially be mapped to ATT&CK techniques involving service stoppage or system disruption. The issue highlights the importance of thorough testing for advanced networking features and proper error handling in critical infrastructure components.