Download H.323 Hardware and Software Vulnerabilities

H.323
Hardware and Software
Vulnerabilities
Jeremy Freeman
Brian Leger
Robert Muller
April 12, 2004
H.323: Hardware and Software
Vulnerabilities
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Agenda

H.323 and Convergence
 Software Vulnerabilities
 Hardware Vulnerabilities
 Wrap Up
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H.323: Hardware and Software
Vulnerabilities
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Convergence and H.323
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Convergence
“The capability of one public network to carry
all types of traffic – voice, data, and video –
as packets.”
- The Essential Guide to Telecommunications, 3rd Edition. Annabel Z. Dodd.
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Voice over IP

Started in 1995
 PC to PC
 A few companies using proprietary software
– Net2Phone
– VocalTec
– Dialpad
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Voice over IP

Significant savings to businesses
– Less expensive moves, adds and changes (MACs)
– Reduced personnel
– Lower infrastructure and management costs

Significant savings for everyone
– Lower long distance charges, especially overseas
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Voice over IP
Growth of International VoIP traffic
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Interoperability
The issue is whether to cling to incompatible
proprietary systems
OR
To embrace universal standards?
The answer is clear:
 H.323 (ITU-T)
 SIP (IETF)
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H.323

H.323 is an umbrella protocol used to
transmit real time multimedia over packetbased networks.
 Its goal is to provide reliable quality of
service and delivery over an IP network that
does not guarantee either.
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H.323 Security: H.235
Specifies security requirements for (H.323
and H.245-based) multimedia terminals.
Four security services are covered:
– Authentication
– Integrity
– Privacy
– Non-repudiation
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H.323 Entities

Terminals
 Gateways
 Multipoint control units (MCUs)
 Gatekeepers
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H.323 Terminal
Endpoint in the H.323 network
 Multimedia PC
 Stand-alone device
 Even a simple telephone
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H.323 Gateway
Gateway provides:
 Control signaling translation
 Audio/video codec translation
 Data format translation
 Call setup/termination functionality on both
sides of the network
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H.323 MCU
Multipoint control units (MCUs)
 Mediates multi-party (3 or more endpoints
in an H.323 network
 Required only if multiparty conferences are
desired
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H.323 Gatekeeper
The “brains” of an H.323 network
 Manages a single ‘zone’
 All of the devices in that zone must register
with the gatekeeper:

–
–
–
–
terminals,
gateways
MCUs
routers
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H.323 Network
Gateway
Terminal
PSTN
Terminal
LAN
Terminal
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MCO
Gatekeeper
H.323: Hardware and Software
Vulnerabilities
Router
Internet
or Intranet
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Software Vulnerabilities
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CERT Bulletin

CERT Advisory CA-2004-01
– Multiple H.323 Message Vulnerabilities
– January 2004
Submitted by U.K.’s National Infrastructure
Security Coordination Centre (NISCC)
 Exploitation of Vulnerabilities

– DoS
– Execution of Malicious Code
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H.225.0
Call Setup Phase
Endpoint 1
Endpoint 2
Setup
ceeding
Call Pro
Alerting
Connect
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H.225.0
Call Setup Phase

End Points listen on port 1720 for incoming
calls.
 No security at this point.
 Malformed messages will cause the receiver
to either hang or crash.
 OUSPG testing suite.
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OUSPG Test Suite

Oulu University Secure Programming Group
(OUSPG)
– Finland, January 2004
– Also developed test suite for SNMP in 2002.

PROTOSTest Suite c07-h2250v4
 Developed to expose vulnerabilities in the H.323
protocol (specifically H.225.0)
 Exercises all of the fields in the H.225.0 protocol
 4500+ test cases.

http://www.ee.oulu.fi/research/ouspg/protos/testing/c07/h2250v4
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Microsoft

January 2004 Security bulletin MS04-001
 Buffer overflow in ISA Server 2000
Firewall Service
 Crashes the system!!
 Workarounds
– Access lists for port 1720
– Block 1720
 Cuts off VoIP to the outside world!
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Cisco
“Security Advisory: Vulnerabilities in
H.323 Message Processing”
 Internetwork Operating System (IOS)
software
 Same issues as MS

– Buffer overflow

Cisco recommends Upgrade!!! ASAP!!
– Blocking 1720 and access list will work too.
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Vulnerabilities
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Mitigating These Problems

Code Reviews
 Spiral Methodology
 Time to release and schedule pressures cut
into testing extreme cases.
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Vulnerabilities
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Hardware Vulnerabilities
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Hardware Vulnerabilities

Firewalls
 Vendor products
 I blame software!
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Firewalls



Both ends need to be configured for H.323
“Phase I: H.323 terminal (A) starts by sending a “Setup
message” to another H.323 terminal (B) containing its
destination address. Terminal (B) responds by sending a Q.931
“Alerting message” followed by a “Connect message” if the
call is accepted. During this first phase of call signaling, the
only port used for communication is TCP port 1720. If the
destination terminal accepts the call, the second phase of
negotiations using the H.245 protocol begin.
Phase II: During the H.245 negotiations, both terminals will
exchange their terminal capabilities. The terminal capabilities
include media type, codec choices, and multiplex information.
Each terminal will respond with a “terminal Capability Set Ack
message”. The terminals’ capabilities may be resent at any
time during the call.
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Firewalls

Phase III: the final phase of the call setup
deals with the master/slave relating between
the two terminals. The master/slave
relationship is used to resolve any conflict
that may arise between the two terminals
during the duration of the call. Once the call
setup process is complete, the audio and
video channels are opened and the video
conference call begins.”
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Firewalls

Phase II & III – ports dynamically assigned.
Which ports will be used…hard to
configure rules when you don’t know?
Leaving ports open and alone creates big
hole in firewall.
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Solutions

Cisco
– One zone w/inside equipment
– One zone w/outside (Internet)
– Each zone has router/gatekeeper
– Inside stuff registers w/inside gatekeeper
– Outside stuff registers w/outside gatekeeper
– One port for H.323 traffic
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Solutions

Aravox
– Filter device between firewall and ISP
– All traffic goes through firewall
– H.323 traffic filtered and sent
– Other traffic goes through firewall
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Vendor products w/problems

TandBerg, Cisco, Polycom, and Intel to name a
few.
 Products are/should be to standard, BUT that
doesn’t mean different vendors’ products play
nice together.
 DoS: CPU 100% utilized, service degrades;
calls can drop; no new calls. Have to reboot.
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Vulnerabilities
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What To Do?

Upgrade to latest software/firmware (highly
recommended)
 Use a firewall (good idea, but has its own
problems)
 Block ports (cool if you don’t want to ever
use it again)
 Create access list of trusted addresses
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Conclusion

H.323 has vulnerabilities
 Exploiting these cause DoS
 Hardware and Software to blame.
 Buffer overflows should’ve been accounted
for during development.
 Constant upgrading keeps network safe.
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Questions?
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Vulnerabilities
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