An FBX-5312 issue was discovered in WatchGuard Fireware before 12.0. If a login attempt is made in the XML-RPC interface with an XML message containing an empty member element, the wgagent crashes, logging out any user with a session opened in the UI. By continuously executing the failed login attempts, UI management of the device becomes impossible.
The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fireware | Watchguard | * | 11.12.4 (including) |
Mitigation of resource exhaustion attacks requires that the target system either:
The first of these solutions is an issue in itself though, since it may allow attackers to prevent the use of the system by a particular valid user. If the attacker impersonates the valid user, they may be able to prevent the user from accessing the server in question.
The second solution is simply difficult to effectively institute – and even when properly done, it does not provide a full solution. It simply makes the attack require more resources on the part of the attacker.