CVE-2019-25014 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

Istio pilot prior to version 1.5.0-alpha.0 contains a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability that can lead to a denial of service when a specific HTTP GET request is sent to the pilot API endpoint.

Understanding CVE-2019-25014

This CVE involves a vulnerability in Istio pilot that could be exploited to trigger a panic in the Go runtime, resulting in a denial of service for the istio-pilot application.

What is CVE-2019-25014?

A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists in pkg/proxy/envoy/v2/debug.go getResourceVersion in Istio pilot before version 1.5.0-alpha.0. By sending a crafted HTTP GET request to the pilot API endpoint, an attacker can cause the Go runtime to panic, leading to a denial of service.

The Impact of CVE-2019-25014

Successful exploitation can result in a denial of service for the istio-pilot application.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-25014

This section provides more technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability lies in the function getResourceVersion in the file debug.go located in pkg/proxy/envoy/v2/ in Istio pilot versions prior to 1.5.0-alpha.0.

Affected Systems and Versions

Istio pilot versions before 1.5.0-alpha.0 are affected.

Exploitation Mechanism

By sending a specific HTTP GET request to the pilot API endpoint, attackers can trigger a panic in the Go runtime, causing a denial of service.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2019-25014 requires specific actions to mitigate the risk.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade Istio pilot to version 1.5.0-alpha.0 or later to address the vulnerability.
Monitor and restrict network access to the pilot API endpoint.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch Istio components to prevent known vulnerabilities.
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches and updates provided by Istio to fix the vulnerability and enhance system security.