CVE-2020-3449 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies
Learn about CVE-2020-3449, a vulnerability in Cisco IOS XR Software that allows attackers to disrupt BGP monitoring, leading to a denial of service condition. Find out the impact, affected systems, exploitation mechanism, and mitigation steps.
A vulnerability in the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) additional paths feature of Cisco IOS XR Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DOS) condition by preventing authorized users from monitoring the BGP status.
Understanding CVE-2020-3449
This CVE involves a vulnerability in Cisco IOS XR Software that could lead to a denial of service attack.
What is CVE-2020-3449?
The vulnerability in the BGP additional paths feature of Cisco IOS XR Software allows an attacker to disrupt BGP monitoring and processing, resulting in a DOS condition.
The Impact of CVE-2020-3449
The vulnerability could enable an attacker to stop authorized users from monitoring BGP status and disrupt the processing of new updates, leading to outdated routing and forwarding tables.
Technical Details of CVE-2020-3449
This section provides technical details of the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Description
The vulnerability is caused by an incorrect calculation of lexicographical order when displaying additional path information in Cisco IOS XR Software, leading to an infinite loop.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Product: Cisco IOS XR Software
- Vendor: Cisco
- Version: n/a
Exploitation Mechanism
- An attacker sends a specific BGP update from a BGP neighbor peer session of an affected device.
- An authorized user must issue a show bgp command for the vulnerability to be exploited.
Mitigation and Prevention
Steps to address and prevent the CVE-2020-3449 vulnerability.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Apply vendor patches or updates as soon as they are available.
- Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activity related to BGP.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly update and patch all software and firmware in the network infrastructure.
- Implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the impact of potential attacks.
Patching and Updates
- Cisco has likely released patches or updates to address this vulnerability. Ensure timely installation of these patches to mitigate the risk of exploitation.