CVE-2017-6444 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies
Learn about CVE-2017-6444 affecting MikroTik Router hAP Lite 6.25. Discover the impact, technical details, affected systems, exploitation mechanism, and mitigation steps to prevent a denial of service attack.
MikroTik Router hAP Lite 6.25 is vulnerable to a denial of service attack due to a lack of protection against unsolicited TCP ACK packets.
Understanding CVE-2017-6444
This CVE details a vulnerability in MikroTik Router hAP Lite 6.25 that can be exploited by remote attackers to cause a denial of service.
What is CVE-2017-6444?
The MikroTik Router hAP Lite 6.25 lacks a safeguard against unsolicited TCP ACK packets, allowing attackers to flood the router with ACK packets, leading to a denial of service. After the attack, the router's CPU consumption remains at 100% until a reboot is performed.
The Impact of CVE-2017-6444
This vulnerability enables remote attackers to launch a denial of service attack by flooding the router with numerous ACK packets, causing CPU consumption to remain at 100% post-attack.
Technical Details of CVE-2017-6444
MikroTik Router hAP Lite 6.25 vulnerability details.
Vulnerability Description
The router lacks protection against unsolicited TCP ACK packets, allowing attackers to flood it with such packets, leading to a denial of service. After the attack, CPU consumption remains at 100%.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Affected Product: MikroTik Router hAP Lite 6.25
- Vendor: MikroTik
- Version: 6.25
Exploitation Mechanism
Attackers exploit the vulnerability by flooding the router with unsolicited TCP ACK packets, causing CPU consumption to reach 100%.
Mitigation and Prevention
Steps to mitigate and prevent the CVE-2017-6444 vulnerability.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Implement network-level protections to filter out unsolicited packets.
- Monitor network traffic for unusual patterns that may indicate an ongoing attack.
- Regularly update router firmware to patch known vulnerabilities.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Conduct regular security audits to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
- Educate network administrators on best practices for network security.
Patching and Updates
- Apply firmware updates provided by MikroTik to address the vulnerability and enhance router security.