The backbone of the Internet is fragile

A serious vulnerability has been identified in connection with the TCP protocol, which is critical for the Internet and networks.

Outside24 experts Robert Lee and Jack Louis have made a very important announcement in recent days that they have encountered a serious vulnerability in the handling of the TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) protocol. Although the security flaw has only just been reported, it was actually discovered as early as 2005. It is certainly not possible to know why they have only just come forward with a description of the vulnerability, but some have reportedly wanted to draw attention to the dangers due to the spread of IPv6.

The two experts promised that they would not reveal the technical details of the vulnerability until the manufacturers made the appropriate bug fixes. This is because the problem does not only affect the products of a company, but also virtually all network devices, PCs and devices that are involved in TCP / IP management. The vulnerability could primarily contribute to denial of service (DoS) attacks, which could lead to paralysis or restart of affected devices.

Lee and Louis are also involved in work to remedy the error. However, it is not possible to say how long it will take to eliminate the vulnerability. In any case, the operators and suppliers of the Internet infrastructures were vigorous in investigating the error and taking the necessary measures. Microsoft is also investigating the vulnerability. The company has so far only stated that they are not aware of any attack that would have exploited the said vulnerability.

Robert Hansen, president and CEO of SecTheory, said the flaw was not a simple vulnerability. This is because it can be the source of at least five, but according to some assumptions, up to 30 different problems. These include network device crashes and legal data corruption.

Since there are no adequate bug fixes to fix the problems yet, Robert Lee could only give enough advice to block connections to unknown sources, even by listing IP addresses, if possible and circumstances allow.