CVE-2022-2928

Description

An integer overflow vulnerability was found in the DHCP server. When the "option_code_hash_lookup()" function is called from "add_option()", it increases the option's "refcount" field. However, there is not a corresponding call to "option_dereference()" to decrement the "refcount" field. The "add_option()" function is only used in server responses to lease query packets. Each lease query response calls this function for several options. Hence, a DHCP server configured with "allow lease query," a remote machine with access to the server, can send lease queries for the same lease multiple times, leading to the "add_option()" function being called repeatedly. This issue could cause the reference counters to overflow and the server to abort or crash.

Statement

Vulnerable servers are network accessible to an attacker and configured to allow and process lease queries.

Internally, reference counters are integers and thus overflow at 2^31 references, so even at 1000 lease query responses per second, it would take more than three weeks to crash the server.

Mitigation

Possible workaround - Disable lease query on the server for DHCPv4 or restart the server periodically.

Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details

Info alert:Important note

CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).

CVSS v3 Score Breakdown

Red HatNVDcve.org
Base Score6.56.56.5
Attack VectorAdjacent NetworkAdjacent NetworkAdjacent Network
Attack ComplexityLowLowLow
Privileges RequiredNoneNoneNone
User InteractionNoneNoneNone
ScopeUnchangedUnchangedUnchanged
ConfidentialityNoneNoneNone
Integrity ImpactNoneNoneNone
Availability ImpactHighHighHigh

Vector

Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Red Hat CVSS v3 Score Explanation

AV:A, because the vulnerable component is bound to the network stack, but the attack is limited at the protocol level to a logically adjacent topology.

Understanding the Weakness (CWE)

Availability

Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory); DoS: Instability

This weakness can generally lead to undefined behavior and therefore crashes. When the calculated result is used for resource allocation, this weakness can cause too many (or too few) resources to be allocated, possibly enabling crashes if the product requests more resources than can be provided.

Integrity

Technical Impact: Modify Memory

If the value in question is important to data (as opposed to flow), simple data corruption has occurred. Also, if the overflow/wraparound results in other conditions such as buffer overflows, further memory corruption may occur.

Confidentiality,Availability,Access Control

Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; Bypass Protection Mechanism

This weakness can sometimes trigger buffer overflows, which can be used to execute arbitrary code. This is usually outside the scope of the product's implicit security policy.

Availability,Other

Technical Impact: Alter Execution Logic; DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU)

If the overflow/wraparound occurs in a loop index variable, this could cause the loop to terminate at the wrong time - too early, too late, or not at all (i.e., infinite loops). With too many iterations, some loops could consume too many resources such as memory, file handles, etc., possibly leading to a crash or other DoS.

Access Control

Technical Impact: Bypass Protection Mechanism

If integer values are used in security-critical decisions, such as calculating quotas or allocation limits, integer overflows can be used to cause an incorrect security decision.

Acknowledgements

Upstream acknowledges VictorV (Cyber Kunlun Lab) as the original reporter.

Frequently Asked Questions

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