CVE-2020-17442 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

An issue was discovered in picoTCP 1.7.0 that could lead to a Denial-of-Service attack due to Integer Wraparound in the parsing of IPv6 extension headers.

Understanding CVE-2020-17442

This CVE involves a vulnerability in picoTCP 1.7.0 that could be exploited to cause a Denial-of-Service attack.

What is CVE-2020-17442?

The vulnerability in picoTCP 1.7.0 arises from the lack of validation for the extension header length value in the parsing of IPv6 extension headers. This oversight may allow an attacker to trigger an Integer Wraparound, potentially leading to a Denial-of-Service condition.

The Impact of CVE-2020-17442

The vulnerability could be exploited by a malicious actor to craft a specific extension header length value, causing a Denial-of-Service by disrupting the parsing loop of extension headers in picoTCP.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-17442

This section provides more technical insights into the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The issue in picoTCP 1.7.0 stems from the lack of bounds validation for the extension header length value during the parsing of IPv6 extension headers, potentially resulting in Integer Wraparound.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Version: picoTCP 1.7.0
Systems: All systems running picoTCP 1.7.0 are vulnerable to this exploit.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by crafting a malicious extension header length value, which, when processed by picoTCP's parsing function, can trigger an Integer Wraparound, leading to a Denial-of-Service scenario.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-17442 requires immediate actions and long-term security measures.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update picoTCP to a patched version that addresses the vulnerability.
Implement network-level protections to filter out potentially malicious IPv6 extension headers.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and update network security protocols to defend against evolving threats.
Conduct security audits and penetration testing to identify and address vulnerabilities proactively.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches and updates provided by picoTCP promptly to mitigate the CVE-2020-17442 vulnerability.