CVE-2022-20945 : What You Need to Know
Learn about CVE-2022-20945, a high-severity vulnerability in Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series Access Points allowing DoS attacks. Find mitigation strategies and immediate steps to secure your network.
A vulnerability in the 802.11 association frame validation of Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series Access Points (APs) could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This article provides insights into CVE-2022-20945, its impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies.
Understanding CVE-2022-20945
This section delves into the key aspects of the CVE-2022-20945 vulnerability.
What is CVE-2022-20945?
The vulnerability in the 802.11 association frame validation of Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series Access Points (APs) allows an adjacent attacker to trigger a DoS condition by exploiting insufficient input validation in specific parameters of association request frames received by the AP.
The Impact of CVE-2022-20945
The vulnerability poses a high availability impact, with a CVSS base score of 7.4 (High severity). An attacker can exploit it to send a crafted 802.11 association request, causing the device to unexpectedly reload and leading to a DoS condition.
Technical Details of CVE-2022-20945
This section provides technical insights into the CVE-2022-20945 vulnerability.
Vulnerability Description
Insufficient input validation in certain parameters of association request frames received by the AP could be exploited by an adjacent attacker to cause a DoS condition on the device.
Affected Systems and Versions
The vulnerability affects Cisco Aironet Access Point Software (IOS XE Controller) with all versions.
Exploitation Mechanism
An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted 802.11 association request to a nearby device, leading to an unexpected device reload and a DoS condition.
Mitigation and Prevention
This section outlines the steps to mitigate and prevent CVE-2022-20945.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Monitor Cisco's security advisories for updates and patches related to the vulnerability.
- Implement network segmentation to limit attacker access to vulnerable devices.
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly update firmware and software to address security vulnerabilities.
- Conduct security assessments to identify and remediate potential weaknesses.
Patching and Updates
Apply vendor-recommended patches and updates promptly to protect the affected systems.