CVE-2024-53426
📋 TL;DR
A heap buffer overflow vulnerability in ntopng's MDNS packet dissection function allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service. This affects ntopng installations version 6.2 that process MDNS network traffic. Network administrators running vulnerable ntopng instances are at risk.
💻 Affected Systems
- ntopng
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Service crash causing denial of service and disruption of network monitoring capabilities.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation and exploit mitigations like ASLR and DEP.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending specially crafted MDNS packets to the vulnerable service. No authentication needed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 6.2.1 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/ntop/ntopng/issues/8793
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Backup current configuration. 2. Download latest ntopng version from ntop.org. 3. Stop ntopng service. 4. Install updated package. 5. Restart ntopng service. 6. Verify version with 'ntopng --version'.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Block MDNS Traffic
linuxPrevent MDNS packets from reaching ntopng using firewall rules
iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 5353 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 5353 -j DROP
Disable MDNS Processing
allConfigure ntopng to ignore MDNS traffic if supported
Edit ntopng config to exclude port 5353 from monitoring
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate ntopng from untrusted networks
- Deploy exploit mitigation technologies (ASLR, DEP, stack canaries) and monitor for crash events
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check ntopng version with 'ntopng --version' and verify if it's 6.2Check Version:
ntopng --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm version is 6.2.1 or later with 'ntopng --version' and test MDNS packet processing📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- ntopng crash logs
- segmentation fault errors in system logs
- unexpected service restarts
Network Indicators:
- Unusual MDNS traffic to ntopng port
- MDNS packets with abnormal structure
SIEM Query:
source="ntopng" AND ("segmentation fault" OR "buffer overflow" OR "crash")