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CWE-406: Insufficient Control of Network Message Volume (Network Amplification)

 
Insufficient Control of Network Message Volume (Network Amplification)
Weakness ID: 406 (Weakness Base)Status: Incomplete
+ Description

Description Summary

The software does not sufficiently monitor or control transmitted network traffic volume, so that an actor can cause the software to transmit more traffic than should be allowed for that actor.

Extended Description

In the absence of a policy to restrict asymmetric resource consumption, the application or system cannot distinguish between legitimate transmissions and traffic intended to serve as an amplifying attack on target systems. Systems can often be configured to restrict the amount of traffic sent out on behalf of a client, based on the client's origin or access level. This is usually defined in a resource allocation policy. In the absence of a mechanism to keep track of transmissions, the system or application can be easily abused to transmit asymmetrically greater traffic than the request or client should be permitted to.

+ Time of Introduction
  • Operation
  • Architecture and Design
  • Implementation
+ Applicable Platforms

Languages

All

+ Common Consequences
ScopeEffect
Availability

Technical Impact: DoS: amplification; DoS: crash / exit / restart; DoS: resource consumption (CPU); DoS: resource consumption (memory); DoS: resource consumption (other)

System resources can be quickly consumed leading to poor application performance or system crash. This may affect network performance and could be used to attack other systems and applications relying on network performance.

+ Enabling Factors for Exploitation

If the application uses UDP, then it could potentially be subject to spoofing attacks that use the inherent weaknesses of UDP to perform traffic amplification, although this problem can exist in other protocols or contexts.

+ Demonstrative Examples

Example 1

This code listens on a port for DNS requests and sends the result to the requesting address.

(Bad Code)
Example Language: Python 
sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM)
sock.bind( (UDP_IP,UDP_PORT) )
while true:
data = sock.recvfrom(1024)
if not data:
break
(requestIP, nameToResolve) = parseUDPpacket(data)
record = resolveName(nameToResolve)
sendResponse(requestIP,record)

This code sends a DNS record to a requesting IP address. UDP allows the source IP address to be easily changed ('spoofed'), thus allowing an attacker to redirect responses to a target, which may be then be overwhelmed by the network traffic.

+ Observed Examples
ReferenceDescription
CVE-1999-0513Smurf attack, spoofed ICMP packets to broadcast addresses.
CVE-1999-1379DNS query with spoofed source address causes more traffic to be returned to spoofed address than was sent by the attacker.
CVE-2000-0041Large datagrams are sent in response to malformed datagrams.
CVE-1999-1066Game server sends a large amount.
+ Potential Mitigations

Phase: Architecture and Design

Strategy: Separation of Privilege

An application must make network resources available to a client commensurate with the client's access level.

Phase: Policy

Define a clear policy for network resource allocation and consumption.

Phase: Implementation

An application must, at all times, keep track of network resources and meter their usage appropriately.

+ Relationships
NatureTypeIDNameView(s) this relationship pertains toView(s)
ChildOfWeakness ClassWeakness Class405Asymmetric Resource Consumption (Amplification)
Development Concepts (primary)699
Research Concepts (primary)1000
ChildOfCategoryCategory907SFP Cluster: Other
Software Fault Pattern (SFP) Clusters (primary)888
MemberOfViewView884CWE Cross-section
CWE Cross-section (primary)884
+ Relationship Notes

This can be resultant from weaknesses that simplify spoofing attacks.

+ Theoretical Notes

Network amplification, when performed with spoofing, is normally a multi-channel attack from attacker (acting as user) to amplifier, and amplifier to victim.

+ Taxonomy Mappings
Mapped Taxonomy NameNode IDFitMapped Node Name
PLOVERNetwork Amplification
+ Content History
Submissions
Submission DateSubmitterOrganizationSource
PLOVERExternally Mined
Modifications
Modification DateModifierOrganizationSource
2008-07-01Eric DalciCigitalExternal
updated Time_of_Introduction
2008-09-08CWE Content TeamMITREInternal
updated Relationships, Other_Notes, Taxonomy_Mappings
2008-10-14CWE Content TeamMITREInternal
updated Description, Enabling_Factors_for_Exploitation, Name, Other_Notes, Theoretical_Notes
2010-06-21CWE Content TeamMITREInternal
updated Other_Notes, Relationship_Notes
2011-03-29CWE Content TeamMITREInternal
updated Demonstrative_Examples
2011-06-01CWE Content TeamMITREInternal
updated Common_Consequences
2012-05-11CWE Content TeamMITREInternal
updated Common_Consequences, Relationships
2012-10-30CWE Content TeamMITREInternal
updated Potential_Mitigations
Previous Entry Names
Change DatePrevious Entry Name
2008-10-14Network Amplification
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Page Last Updated: February 20, 2013
 

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