Discover the impact of CVE-2021-1565, where Cisco IOS XE Software for Catalyst 9000 Family Wireless Controllers is susceptible to denial of service attacks. Learn how to mitigate these vulnerabilities.
This CVE-2021-1565 advisory addresses multiple vulnerabilities in the Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) protocol processing of Cisco IOS XE Software for Cisco Catalyst 9000 Family Wireless Controllers. An unauthenticated, remote attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities to trigger a denial of service condition on the affected device.
Understanding CVE-2021-1565
This section provides insights into the nature of the CVE-2021-1565 vulnerability.
What is CVE-2021-1565?
The vulnerabilities in the Cisco IOS XE Software allow an attacker to send a malformed CAPWAP packet, leading to a crash and reload of the affected device, resulting in a denial of service condition.
The Impact of CVE-2021-1565
With a CVSS base score of 8.6, the vulnerabilities pose a high risk by allowing unauthenticated attackers to disrupt the availability of Cisco Catalyst 9000 Family Wireless Controllers.
Technical Details of CVE-2021-1565
In this section, we delve into the technical specifics of CVE-2021-1565.
Vulnerability Description
The vulnerabilities stem from insufficient validation of CAPWAP packets in Cisco IOS XE Software, enabling remote exploitation and subsequent device crashes.
Affected Systems and Versions
Cisco IOS XE Software for Cisco Catalyst 9000 Family Wireless Controllers are affected by these vulnerabilities, with precise version details.
Exploitation Mechanism
Attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities by sending crafted CAPWAP packets to the target device, triggering crashes and DoS conditions.
Mitigation and Prevention
This section outlines the necessary steps to mitigate and prevent the exploitation of CVE-2021-1565.
Immediate Steps to Take
Implement network traffic filtering, update to patched versions, and restrict access to vulnerable systems to mitigate the risk of exploitation.
Long-Term Security Practices
Regular security updates, network monitoring, and access control measures will enhance the overall security posture against similar vulnerabilities.
Patching and Updates
Apply official patches provided by Cisco to address the vulnerabilities and protect the affected systems from potential exploitation.