CVE-2017-12280 : What You Need to Know

A vulnerability in the parsing functionality of Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to trigger an unexpected restart of the affected device, leading to a denial of service (DoS) situation.

Understanding CVE-2017-12280

This CVE involves a flaw in the Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) Discovery Request parsing functionality of Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers.

What is CVE-2017-12280?

The vulnerability allows an attacker to send customized CAPWAP Discovery Request packets to the device, causing it to restart unexpectedly, resulting in a DoS condition.

The Impact of CVE-2017-12280

An unauthenticated attacker can exploit the vulnerability remotely to trigger a DoS situation by causing the affected device to restart unexpectedly.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-12280

This section provides more technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

Insufficient input validation of fields within CAPWAP Discovery Request packets on the affected device leads to the vulnerability.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Cisco Wireless LAN Controller
Version: Cisco Wireless LAN Controller

Exploitation Mechanism

Attacker sends customized CAPWAP Discovery Request packets to the vulnerable device.
Successful exploitation results in the affected device restarting unexpectedly, causing a DoS condition.

Mitigation and Prevention

Here are the steps to mitigate and prevent exploitation of CVE-2017-12280.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply vendor patches and updates promptly.
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activity.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and firmware on network devices.
Conduct security training for employees to raise awareness of social engineering tactics.

Patching and Updates

Refer to the vendor's security advisory for patch availability and installation instructions.