CVE-2020-3203 : Security Advisory and Response

A vulnerability in the locally significant certificate (LSC) provisioning feature of Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers running Cisco IOS XE Software could lead to a denial of service (DoS) attack.

Understanding CVE-2020-3203

This CVE involves a memory leak vulnerability in Cisco IOS XE Software, potentially resulting in a DoS condition.

What is CVE-2020-3203?

The vulnerability in the LSC provisioning feature of Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers allows an unauthenticated attacker to trigger a memory leak by sending crafted SSL packets, leading to a DoS condition.

The Impact of CVE-2020-3203

CVSS Base Score: 8.6 (High Severity)
Attack Vector: Network
Availability Impact: High
The vulnerability could cause affected devices to consume memory continuously, resulting in a crash and DoS.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-3203

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

Vulnerability Description

Incorrect processing of PKI packets leads to a memory leak.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Product: Cisco IOS XE Software 16.1.1
Vendor: Cisco
Affected Version: n/a

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers exploit the vulnerability by sending crafted SSL packets to the affected device.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from CVE-2020-3203 with these mitigation strategies.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply vendor-provided patches or updates promptly.
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential attacks.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious SSL packets.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and firmware.
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities.
Educate users and administrators about safe browsing habits and security best practices.

Patching and Updates

Refer to the vendor's security advisory for patch availability and installation instructions.