CVE-2017-3224 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies
Learn about CVE-2017-3224, a vulnerability in OSPF protocol implementations allowing attackers to manipulate routing tables, potentially causing denial of service. Find mitigation steps and affected systems.
Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol implementations may improperly determine LSA recency in affected Quagga and downstream implementations (SUSE, openSUSE, and Red Hat packages).
Understanding CVE-2017-3224
This CVE involves a vulnerability in the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol implementations that could allow attackers to manipulate or delete routing tables, potentially leading to denial of service or rerouting of network traffic.
What is CVE-2017-3224?
The vulnerability arises from the improper determination of Link State Advertisement (LSA) recency for LSAs with MaxSequenceNumber in OSPF implementations. Attackers can create LSAs with invalid links, resulting in a 'newer' LSA that remains in the Link State Database (LSDB).
The Impact of CVE-2017-3224
Exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to the manipulation or deletion of routing tables in routers within the routing domain, causing a denial of service or rerouting of network traffic.
Technical Details of CVE-2017-3224
This section provides more detailed technical information about the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Description
The vulnerability allows attackers to create LSAs with MaxSequenceNumber and invalid links, resulting in LSAs that are not flushed from the LSDB, potentially leading to routing table manipulation.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Product: Protocol
- Vendor: Open Shortest Path First (OSPF)
- Versions: Unknown
Exploitation Mechanism
- Attackers craft LSAs with MaxSequenceNumber and invalid links to create 'newer' LSAs that remain in the LSDB, impacting routing tables.
Mitigation and Prevention
Protecting systems from CVE-2017-3224 requires immediate steps and long-term security practices.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Apply patches and updates provided by the vendors promptly.
- Monitor network traffic for any unusual behavior that could indicate exploitation of the vulnerability.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly update and patch OSPF implementations to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
- Implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the impact of potential attacks.
Patching and Updates
- Vendors like Quagga, SUSE, openSUSE, and Red Hat have released patches to address this vulnerability.