CVE-2017-12250 : What You Need to Know

A weakness has been identified in the HTTP web interface for Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) that could potentially lead to a partial denial of service (DoS) situation by allowing a remote attacker to restart an HTTP Application Optimization (AO) process.

Understanding CVE-2017-12250

What is CVE-2017-12250?

The vulnerability in Cisco WAAS arises from a lack of validation for user-supplied input parameters in an HTTP request, enabling an attacker to trigger a DoS condition by restarting an AO process.

The Impact of CVE-2017-12250

The vulnerability could result in a partial DoS situation where the process restarts unexpectedly, causing a temporary drop in traffic flow.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-12250

Vulnerability Description

The flaw allows a remote attacker to initiate an unauthenticated operation, leading to a partial DoS by restarting an HTTP AO process.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Cisco Wide Area Application Services
Version: Cisco Wide Area Application Services

Exploitation Mechanism

An attacker must send a carefully crafted HTTP request through the targeted device to exploit the vulnerability.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply vendor-provided patches or updates to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor network traffic for any unusual patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and firmware to prevent known vulnerabilities.
Implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the attack surface.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories and updates from Cisco to apply patches promptly.