pyasn1 is a generic ASN.1 library for Python. Prior to 0.6.4, the BER decoder shared by the CER and DER codecs parses long-form tags by accumulating continuation octets without an upper bound on the tag ID size, allowing a crafted input to force construction of an arbitrarily large integer with CPU cost growing quadratically and to trigger unhandled ValueError exceptions in Python 3.11+ error formatting paths. Any application decoding untrusted BER, CER, or DER input is affected. This issue is fixed in version 0.6.4.
Weakness
The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.
Affected Software
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pyasn1 | Pyasn1 | * | 0.6.4 (excluding) |
| Red Hat Hardened Images | RedHat | jaeger-main-2.19.0-1.1.hum1 | * |
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