A security flaw has been discovered in Tor up to 0.4.7.16/0.4.8.17. Impacted is an unknown function of the component Onion Service Descriptor Handler. Performing manipulation results in resource consumption. The attack may be initiated remotely. The attacks complexity is rated as high. The exploitability is considered difficult. Upgrading to version 0.4.8.18 and 0.4.9.3-alpha is recommended to address this issue. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component.
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.