CVE-2021-34741 Explained : Impact and Mitigation
Learn about CVE-2021-34741, a Cisco Email Security Appliance vulnerability that allows remote attackers to trigger a denial of service attack by exhausting CPU resources. Review the impact, affected systems, and mitigation steps.
A vulnerability in the email scanning algorithm of Cisco AsyncOS software for Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) could lead to a denial of service (DoS) attack, allowing a remote attacker to exhaust CPU resources on the affected device. This could result in a DoS condition, impacting email processing.
Understanding CVE-2021-34741
This CVE involves a denial of service vulnerability in Cisco Email Security Appliance, affecting the email scanning algorithm and leading to resource exhaustion.
What is CVE-2021-34741?
The CVE-2021-34741 vulnerability relates to insufficient input validation of incoming emails in Cisco Email Security Appliance. An attacker could exploit this to cause a DoS condition by overwhelming CPU resources.
The Impact of CVE-2021-34741
The impact of this vulnerability is rated as HIGH, with a CVSS base score of 7.5. It could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to disrupt email processing on the affected device, leading to a denial of service condition.
Technical Details of CVE-2021-34741
This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Description
The vulnerability is caused by insufficient input validation of incoming emails, allowing an attacker to send crafted emails that exhaust CPU resources on the affected device.
Affected Systems and Versions
The Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) is affected by this vulnerability.
Exploitation Mechanism
An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted email through Cisco ESA, causing a DoS condition by consuming all available CPU resources.
Mitigation and Prevention
To mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2021-34741, it is crucial to take immediate steps and implement long-term security measures.
Immediate Steps to Take
Companies using Cisco Email Security Appliance should monitor for official patches or workarounds provided by Cisco to address the vulnerability.
Long-Term Security Practices
Implement proper email security protocols, train users on identifying phishing emails, and maintain up-to-date security configurations to prevent potential attacks.
Patching and Updates
Regularly check for security updates and patches released by Cisco to secure the Email Security Appliance against vulnerabilities like CVE-2021-34741.