CVE-2018-0228 Vulnerability Analysis & Exploit Details

CVE-2018-0228
Vulnerability Scoring

8.6
/10
Severe Risk

Cybersecurity professionals consider CVE-2018-0228 an immediate threat requiring urgent mitigation.

Attack Complexity Details

  • Attack Complexity: Low
    Exploits can be performed without significant complexity or special conditions.
  • Attack Vector: Network
    Vulnerability is exploitable over a network without physical access.
  • Privileges Required: None
    No privileges are required for exploitation.
  • Scope: Changed
    Successful exploitation can impact components beyond the vulnerable component.
  • User Interaction: None
    No user interaction is necessary for exploitation.

CVE-2018-0228 Details

Status: Modified

Last updated: 🕞 21 Nov 2024, 03:37 UTC
Originally published on: 🕗 19 Apr 2018, 20:29 UTC

Time between publication and last update: 2407 days

CVSS Release: version 3

CVSS3 Source

nvd@nist.gov

CVSS3 Type

Primary

CVSS3 Vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVE-2018-0228 Vulnerability Summary

CVE-2018-0228: A vulnerability in the ingress flow creation functionality of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause the CPU to increase upwards of 100% utilization, causing a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected system. The vulnerability is due to incorrect handling of an internal software lock that could prevent other system processes from getting CPU cycles, causing a high CPU condition. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a steady stream of malicious IP packets that can cause connections to be created on the targeted device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to exhaust CPU resources, resulting in a DoS condition during which traffic through the device could be delayed. This vulnerability applies to either IPv4 or IPv6 ingress traffic. This vulnerability affects Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software that is running on the following Cisco products: 3000 Series Industrial Security Appliances (ISA), ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances, ASA 5500-X Series Next-Generation Firewalls, ASA Services Module for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches and Cisco 7600 Series Routers, Adaptive Security Virtual Appliances (ASAv), Firepower 2100 Series Security Appliances, Firepower 4110 Security Appliances, Firepower 9300 ASA Security Modules. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvf63718.

Assessing the Risk of CVE-2018-0228

Access Complexity Graph

The exploitability of CVE-2018-0228 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).

Exploitability Analysis for CVE-2018-0228

With low attack complexity and no required privileges, CVE-2018-0228 is an easy target for cybercriminals. Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.

Understanding AC and PR

A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.

Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.

Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.

CVSS Score Breakdown Chart

Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2018-0228, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.

CIA Impact Analysis

Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2018-0228, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.

  • Confidentiality: None
    CVE-2018-0228 has no significant impact on data confidentiality.
  • Integrity: None
    CVE-2018-0228 poses no threat to data integrity.
  • Availability: High
    CVE-2018-0228 can disrupt system operations, potentially causing complete denial of service (DoS).

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.

EPSS Score: 0.56% (probability of exploit)

EPSS Percentile: 77.97% (lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 22.03% of others.

CVE-2018-0228 References

External References

CWE Common Weakness Enumeration

CWE-667

CAPEC Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification

  • Forced Deadlock CAPEC-25 The adversary triggers and exploits a deadlock condition in the target software to cause a denial of service. A deadlock can occur when two or more competing actions are waiting for each other to finish, and thus neither ever does. Deadlock conditions can be difficult to detect.
  • Leveraging Race Conditions CAPEC-26 The adversary targets a race condition occurring when multiple processes access and manipulate the same resource concurrently, and the outcome of the execution depends on the particular order in which the access takes place. The adversary can leverage a race condition by "running the race", modifying the resource and modifying the normal execution flow. For instance, a race condition can occur while accessing a file: the adversary can trick the system by replacing the original file with their version and cause the system to read the malicious file.
  • Leveraging Race Conditions via Symbolic Links CAPEC-27 This attack leverages the use of symbolic links (Symlinks) in order to write to sensitive files. An attacker can create a Symlink link to a target file not otherwise accessible to them. When the privileged program tries to create a temporary file with the same name as the Symlink link, it will actually write to the target file pointed to by the attackers' Symlink link. If the attacker can insert malicious content in the temporary file they will be writing to the sensitive file by using the Symlink. The race occurs because the system checks if the temporary file exists, then creates the file. The attacker would typically create the Symlink during the interval between the check and the creation of the temporary file.

Vulnerable Configurations

  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(0.0\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(0.0\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(0.104\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(0.104\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.2.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.2.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.2.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.2.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.2.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.2.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(3.1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(3.1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.3.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.3.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.18:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.18:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.19:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2.4.19:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(4\)20:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(4\)20:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(4\)22:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(4\)22:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(4\)24:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(4\)24:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(4\)25:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(4\)25:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(4\)26:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.2\(4\)26:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.9.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:9.9.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:98.1\(12.187\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:o:cisco:adaptive_security_appliance_software:98.1\(12.187\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0.1.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0.1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0.1.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.0.1.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.1.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.1.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.1.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.1.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.1.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.1.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.1.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.1.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.1.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.1.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:firepower_threat_defense:6.2.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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