Suricata is a network IDS, IPS and NSM engine. Prior to versions 8.0.3 and 7.0.14, specially crafted traffic can cause Suricata to consume large amounts of memory while parsing DNP3 traffic. This can lead to the process slowing down and running out of memory, potentially leading to it getting killed by the OOM killer. Versions 8.0.3 or 7.0.14 contain a patch. As a workaround, disable the DNP3 parser in the suricata yaml (disabled by default).
Weakness
The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.
Affected Software
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suricata | Oisf | * | 7.0.14 (excluding) |
| Suricata | Oisf | 8.0.0 (including) | 8.0.3 (excluding) |
| Suricata | Ubuntu | upstream | * |
Potential Mitigations
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.
Related Attack Patterns
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/147.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/227.html
- https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/492.html