CVE-2019-12586 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Espressif ESP-IDF and ESP8266_NONOS_SDK are vulnerable to a denial of service attack due to a flaw in the EAP peer implementation.

Understanding CVE-2019-12586

Attackers within radio range can exploit a vulnerability in the EAP peer implementation found in Espressif ESP-IDF 2.0.0 through 4.0.0 and ESP8266_NONOS_SDK 2.2.0 through 3.1.0. By sending a carefully crafted EAP Success message, they can trigger a denial of service (crash) before the completion or failure of any EAP method.

What is CVE-2019-12586?

The vulnerability in CVE-2019-12586 allows attackers within radio range to cause a denial of service (crash) by sending a malicious EAP Success message.

The Impact of CVE-2019-12586

This vulnerability can lead to a denial of service (DoS) condition on affected devices, disrupting their normal operation.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-12586

Espressif ESP-IDF and ESP8266_NONOS_SDK are affected by a flaw in the EAP peer implementation.

Vulnerability Description

The EAP peer implementation in Espressif ESP-IDF 2.0.0 through 4.0.0 and ESP8266_NONOS_SDK 2.2.0 through 3.1.0 processes EAP Success messages before any EAP method completion or failure, enabling attackers to trigger a DoS attack.

Affected Systems and Versions

Espressif ESP-IDF 2.0.0 through 4.0.0
ESP8266_NONOS_SDK 2.2.0 through 3.1.0

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers exploit the vulnerability by sending a carefully crafted EAP Success message within radio range, causing a crash on the target device.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take:

Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious EAP messages. Long-Term Security Practices:
Regularly update firmware and software to patch known vulnerabilities.
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address weaknesses.
Educate users and administrators about secure network practices.
Consider using additional security measures such as intrusion detection systems.
Stay informed about security advisories and updates from Espressif.
Apply patches and updates provided by Espressif to mitigate the vulnerability.