CVE-2023-3341 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

An overview of the CVE-2023-3341 vulnerability affecting ISC BIND 9.

Understanding CVE-2023-3341

This section delves into the details of the CVE-2023-3341 vulnerability impacting BIND 9, highlighting its impact, technical aspects, and mitigation strategies.

What is CVE-2023-3341?

The CVE-2023-3341 vulnerability involves a stack exhaustion flaw in the control channel code of ISC BIND 9. Attackers can exploit this flaw by sending specially crafted messages over the control channel, causing the packet-parsing code to exhaust stack memory and leading to the unexpected termination of the

named

service.

The Impact of CVE-2023-3341

Exploiting this vulnerability may result in

named

terminating unexpectedly, affecting the availability of the service. The attack requires network access to the control channel's configured TCP port and is dependent on the available stack size.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-3341

An insight into the technical aspects of the CVE-2023-3341 vulnerability in ISC BIND 9.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from recursive calls to certain functions during packet parsing, with the recursion depth limited only by the maximum accepted packet size. This flaw can lead to stack memory exhaustion, triggering the unexpected termination of

named

.

Affected Systems and Versions

BIND 9 versions 9.2.0 through 9.16.43, 9.18.0 through 9.18.18, 9.19.0 through 9.19.16, 9.9.3-S1 through 9.16.43-S1, and 9.18.0-S1 through 9.18.18-S1 are affected by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted messages over the control channel, leading to stack memory exhaustion in environments with limited stack sizes.

Mitigation and Prevention

Guidance on mitigating and preventing the CVE-2023-3341 vulnerability in ISC BIND 9.

Immediate Steps to Take

To prevent exploitation, limit control channel connections to trusted IP ranges and restrict remote access to the control channel's TCP port.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement network-level access controls and regularly update BIND 9 to minimize the risk of similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

ISC recommends upgrading to the patched releases closest to your current BIND 9 version, including 9.16.44, 9.18.19, 9.19.17, 9.16.44-S1, or 9.18.19-S1 to address the vulnerability.

This vulnerability was responsibly disclosed by Eric Sesterhenn from X41 D-Sec GmbH.