CVE-2017-6780 : What You Need to Know
Learn about CVE-2017-6780, a vulnerability in Cisco IoT Field Network Director that allows attackers to cause memory exhaustion, system restarts, and denial of service attacks. Find mitigation steps and preventive measures.
A vulnerability in the TCP throttling process for Cisco IoT Field Network Director (IoT-FND) could allow an unauthenticated attacker to cause memory exhaustion, leading to system restarts and potential denial of service (DoS) attacks.
Understanding CVE-2017-6780
This CVE involves a flaw in the TCP throttling procedure for Cisco IoT Field Network Director, potentially enabling attackers to exploit the system's memory consumption.
What is CVE-2017-6780?
The vulnerability allows attackers to send a high volume of TCP packets to specific open listening ports on the targeted device, causing memory consumption and system restarts, resulting in temporary DoS conditions.
The Impact of CVE-2017-6780
The vulnerability could lead to memory exhaustion, unexpected system restarts, and temporary denial of service situations, affecting the availability of the system.
Technical Details of CVE-2017-6780
This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Description
The flaw in the TCP throttling process of Cisco IoT Field Network Director allows unauthenticated attackers to trigger memory exhaustion, leading to system restarts.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Cisco IoT Field Network Director
- Connected Grid Network Management System (if using a software release predating IoT-FND Release 4.0)
Exploitation Mechanism
Attackers exploit the vulnerability by sending a high rate of TCP packets to specific open listening ports on the targeted device, causing memory consumption and system restarts.
Mitigation and Prevention
Protecting systems from CVE-2017-6780 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Apply patches and updates provided by Cisco to address the vulnerability.
- Monitor network traffic for any unusual patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.
- Regularly update and patch all software and firmware to prevent known vulnerabilities.
- Conduct security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address weaknesses.
Patching and Updates
Cisco has released patches to mitigate the vulnerability. Ensure all affected systems are updated with the latest security fixes.