CVE-2017-3876 Explained : Impact and Mitigation
Learn about CVE-2017-3876, a vulnerability in Cisco IOS XR routers allowing unauthorized attackers to cause a denial of service situation. Find mitigation steps and prevention measures here.
A weakness in the Event Management Service daemon (emsd) of Cisco IOS XR routers could lead to a denial of service (DoS) situation when exploited by an unauthorized external attacker. This vulnerability arises from the mishandling of gRPC requests.
Understanding CVE-2017-3876
This CVE involves a vulnerability in Cisco IOS XR routers that could allow attackers to crash the device, necessitating manual intervention for recovery.
What is CVE-2017-3876?
The vulnerability in the Event Management Service daemon (emsd) of Cisco IOS XR routers allows unauthorized external attackers to exploit the device, causing a denial of service (DoS) situation. The flaw originates from the mishandling of gRPC requests.
The Impact of CVE-2017-3876
If successfully exploited, the vulnerability enables attackers to crash the affected device, requiring manual intervention for recovery. This weakness affects all Cisco IOS XR platforms using release 6.1.1 of Cisco IOS XR Software when the gRPC service is enabled.
Technical Details of CVE-2017-3876
This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Description
The vulnerability in the Event Management Service daemon (emsd) of Cisco IOS XR routers allows unauthorized external attackers to exploit the device, leading to a denial of service (DoS) situation due to mishandling of gRPC requests.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Product: Cisco IOS XR
- Vendor: n/a
- Versions: Cisco IOS XR
Exploitation Mechanism
To exploit this vulnerability, attackers need to repeatedly send unauthenticated gRPC requests to the affected device, crashing it and requiring manual intervention for recovery.
Mitigation and Prevention
Protecting systems from CVE-2017-3876 requires immediate steps and long-term security practices.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Disable the gRPC service if not required to mitigate the vulnerability.
- Regularly monitor and restrict network traffic to prevent unauthorized access.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Keep systems up to date with the latest security patches and updates.
- Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.
- Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Patching and Updates
Apply relevant patches and updates provided by Cisco to address the vulnerability and enhance system security.