CVE-2017-12256 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) Appliances Akamai Connect feature vulnerability could lead to a denial-of-service (DoS) attack.

Understanding CVE-2017-12256

The vulnerability in Cisco WAAS Appliances could allow a remote attacker to trigger a DoS scenario by exploiting a flaw in the Akamai Connect feature.

What is CVE-2017-12256?

The Akamai Connect feature of Cisco WAAS Appliances has a security flaw that could be exploited by a remote attacker without authentication, potentially leading to a DoS situation on the targeted device.

The Impact of CVE-2017-12256

The vulnerability could result in unexpected crashes or freezing of the affected device, requiring manual intervention to restore normal operations.
Exploiting this weakness involves directing client systems to access a corrupted file, causing decompression issues.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-12256

The technical details of the CVE-2017-12256 vulnerability are as follows:

Vulnerability Description

Inadequate handling of certain files within the system.

Affected Systems and Versions

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

Exploitation Mechanism

Attacker directs client systems to access a corrupted file that clients cannot decompress correctly.

Mitigation and Prevention

Steps to address and prevent the CVE-2017-12256 vulnerability:

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the necessary patches and updates provided by Cisco.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activity.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and firmware.
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.
Conduct regular security assessments and audits.

Patching and Updates

Cisco has assigned bug IDs CSCve82472 to address this vulnerability.