#VU99986 Resource exhaustion in Linux kernel - CVE-2001-1244

Vulnerability identifier: #VU99986

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 5.5 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2001-1244

CWE-ID: CWE-400

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: Yes

Vulnerable software:
Linux kernel
Operating systems & Components / Operating system

Vendor: Linux Foundation

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote non-authenticated attacker to perform service disruption.

Multiple TCP implementations could allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (bandwidth and CPU exhaustion) by setting the maximum segment size (MSS) to a very small number and requesting large amounts of data, which generates more packets with less TCP-level data that amplify network traffic and consume more server CPU to process.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's repository.

Vulnerable software versions

Linux kernel: All versions

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External links
https://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/195457
https://www.securityfocus.com/bid/2997
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/6824

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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. However, proof of concept for this vulnerability is available.