go-ethereum (geth) is a golang execution layer implementation of the Ethereum protocol. Prior to 1.13.15, a vulnerable node can be made to consume very large amounts of memory when handling specially crafted p2p messages sent from an attacker node. The fix has been included in geth version 1.13.15 and onwards.
The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.
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.