CVE-2018-5255 : What You Need to Know
Learn about CVE-2018-5255, a vulnerability in the Mlag agent within Arista EOS versions 4.19 and 4.20, allowing remote attackers to trigger a denial of service attack via crafted UDP packets.
A crafted UDP packet vulnerability in the Mlag agent within Arista EOS versions 4.19 before 4.19.4M and 4.20 before 4.20.2F can lead to a denial of service attack.
Understanding CVE-2018-5255
Crafted UDP packets can be used by remote attackers to cause a denial of service in the Mlag agent within Arista EOS versions 4.19 prior to 4.19.4M and 4.20 prior to 4.20.2F, resulting in the agent being restarted.
What is CVE-2018-5255?
The vulnerability in the Mlag agent in Arista EOS allows remote attackers to trigger a denial of service (DoS) by sending specially crafted UDP packets.
The Impact of CVE-2018-5255
This vulnerability can result in a denial of service condition, causing the Mlag agent to restart, disrupting network operations and potentially leading to downtime.
Technical Details of CVE-2018-5255
Crafted UDP packets can exploit the vulnerability in the Mlag agent within specific Arista EOS versions, leading to a DoS attack.
Vulnerability Description
The Mlag agent in Arista EOS 4.19 before 4.19.4M and 4.20 before 4.20.2F is susceptible to a DoS attack triggered by specially crafted UDP packets.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Arista EOS versions 4.19 before 4.19.4M
- Arista EOS versions 4.20 before 4.20.2F
Exploitation Mechanism
Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending malicious UDP packets to the Mlag agent, causing it to restart and disrupt network services.
Mitigation and Prevention
It is crucial to take immediate steps to address and prevent the exploitation of CVE-2018-5255.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Apply vendor-supplied patches or updates to mitigate the vulnerability.
- Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly monitor network traffic for any suspicious activity.
- Conduct security assessments and penetration testing to identify and address vulnerabilities proactively.
Patching and Updates
- Ensure that Arista EOS is updated to versions 4.19.4M or 4.20.2F to patch the vulnerability and prevent potential DoS attacks.