CVE-2017-16672 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

A memory leak vulnerability was found in Asterisk Open Source versions 13 before 13.18.1, 14 before 14.7.1, and 15 before 15.1.1, as well as Certified Asterisk version 13.13 before 13.13-cert7. This flaw could lead to a depletion of memory and potential crashes.

Understanding CVE-2017-16672

This CVE identifies a specific memory leak issue in Asterisk Open Source and Certified Asterisk versions, potentially causing system crashes.

What is CVE-2017-16672?

A memory leak occurs in Asterisk when a pjsip session object is created but the call is rejected before the session is fully established. This results in the session object not being destroyed, leading to memory depletion and system crashes.

The Impact of CVE-2017-16672

The vulnerability could allow an attacker to exploit the memory leak, causing Asterisk to exhaust memory resources and crash, potentially disrupting communication services.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-16672

This section provides more in-depth technical details about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises in Asterisk versions when a pjsip session object is created but not properly destroyed if the call is rejected before full establishment, resulting in a memory leak.

Affected Systems and Versions

Asterisk Open Source versions 13 before 13.18.1, 14 before 14.7.1, and 15 before 15.1.1
Certified Asterisk version 13.13 before 13.13-cert7

Exploitation Mechanism

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating multiple rejected calls, leading to memory exhaustion and potential system crashes.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2017-16672 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Asterisk to the patched versions (13.18.1, 14.7.1, 15.1.1, or 13.13-cert7) to mitigate the memory leak vulnerability.
Monitor system memory usage for any unusual spikes that could indicate exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch Asterisk and other software to address known vulnerabilities.
Implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the impact of potential attacks.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by Asterisk to fix the memory leak issue and prevent system crashes.