CVE-2018-0471 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A vulnerability in the Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) module of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated attacker to cause a memory leak, potentially leading to a denial of service (DoS) situation.

Understanding CVE-2018-0471

This CVE involves a flaw in the Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) module found in Cisco IOS XE Software Releases 16.6.1 and 16.6.2.

What is CVE-2018-0471?

The vulnerability stems from incorrect handling of specific CDP packets, allowing an attacker in close proximity to the device to trigger a memory leak, leading to a DoS scenario.

The Impact of CVE-2018-0471

The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 7.4, indicating a significant impact. If exploited, it can cause affected devices to crash and reload due to memory allocation failures.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-0471

This section provides more in-depth technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw in the Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) module of Cisco IOS XE Software allows unauthorized attackers to exploit specific CDP packets, causing memory leaks and potential DoS attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Cisco IOS XE Software
Versions: 16.6.1 and 16.6.2

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers need to send specific CDP packets to the targeted device to trigger the vulnerability.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2018-0471 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches and updates provided by Cisco to address the vulnerability.
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and update network security measures.
Conduct security training for employees to raise awareness of potential threats.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories from Cisco and apply patches promptly to mitigate risks.