#VU15165 Buffer overflow in strongSwan - CVE-2018-17540

Vulnerability identifier: #VU15165

Vulnerability risk: Medium

CVSSv4.0: 6.6 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Green]

CVE-ID: CVE-2018-17540

CWE-ID: CWE-119

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
strongSwan
Server applications / Encryption software

Vendor: strongswan.org

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to perform denial of service attacks.

The vulnerability exists due to a boundary error when processing certificates within gmp plugin. A remote attacker can create a specially crafted certificate, pass it to the affected application and trigger application crash.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

strongSwan: 4.0.0 - 5.7.0

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External links
https://download.strongswan.org/security/CVE-2018-17540/
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/10/msg00001.html
https://usn.ubuntu.com/3774-1/
https://www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4309
https://www.strongswan.org/blog/2018/10/01/strongswan-vulnerability-(cve-2018-17540).html

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.