CVE-2017-1000411 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A vulnerability in the OpenFlow Plugin and OpenDayLight Controller versions Nitrogen, Carbon, Boron, Robert Varga, Anil Vishnoi allows attackers to consume memory resources, leading to controller shutdown.

Understanding CVE-2017-1000411

This CVE describes a flaw in specific versions of the OpenFlow Plugin and OpenDayLight Controller that can be exploited to crash the controller by overwhelming it with 'expired' flows.

What is CVE-2017-1000411?

The vulnerability arises when multiple 'expired' flows occupy the memory resource of the CONFIG DATASTORE, causing the controller to shut down. Attackers can trigger this issue by sending various flows with 'idle-timeout' and 'hard-timeout' via the OpenFlow Plugin REST API.

The Impact of CVE-2017-1000411

Attackers can crash the controller by overloading it with expired flows, leading to a denial of service (DoS) situation.
Even after removing installed flows with timeouts, the expired entries persist in the CONFIG DS, allowing for continued attacks.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-1000411

This section provides more in-depth technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw allows attackers to exhaust the controller's resources by flooding it with expired flows, ultimately causing a shutdown.

Affected Systems and Versions

OpenFlow Plugin and OpenDayLight Controller versions Nitrogen, Carbon, Boron, Robert Varga, Anil Vishnoi
All systems where these versions are deployed are vulnerable to this attack.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending multiple flows with timeouts via the OpenFlow Plugin REST API, causing the controller to crash.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2017-1000411 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the OpenFlow Plugin and OpenDayLight Controller to patched versions that address this vulnerability.
Monitor memory usage and flow activity to detect any abnormal behavior.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly review and update network security configurations to prevent similar vulnerabilities.
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by the software vendors to mitigate the risk of exploitation.