CVE-2023-20213 : Security Advisory and Response

This CVE-2023-20213 was published by Cisco on November 1, 2023. It involves a vulnerability in the CDP processing feature of Cisco Identity Services Engine Software that could potentially lead to a denial of service (DoS) attack on an affected device.

Understanding CVE-2023-20213

This section will delve deeper into what CVE-2023-20213 entails and its impact on systems.

What is CVE-2023-20213?

The vulnerability in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) software arises from insufficient bounds checking when processing Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) traffic. An unauthenticated, adjacent attacker could exploit this flaw by sending crafted CDP traffic to crash the CDP process on the affected device. This crash would disrupt neighbor discovery and the remote device's reachability determination capabilities.

The Impact of CVE-2023-20213

The impact of this vulnerability is primarily focused on causing a denial of service condition on the affected device by crashing the CDP process. This can lead to disruptions in network operations and hinder the functionality of Cisco ISE in determining the availability of remote devices.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-20213

In this section, we will explore the vulnerability description, affected systems and versions, as well as the exploitation mechanism associated with CVE-2023-20213.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Cisco ISE software results from inadequate bounds checking during the processing of CDP traffic, allowing an attacker to send malicious CDP packets and crash the CDP process.

Affected Systems and Versions

Multiple versions of Cisco Identity Services Engine Software are affected by this vulnerability, ranging from 2.6.0 to 3.2.0, with various patches also being susceptible to exploitation.

Exploitation Mechanism

An unauthenticated, adjacent attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted CDP traffic to the device, causing the CDP process to crash and impacting network neighbor discovery functionality.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-20213, it is crucial to take immediate steps, implement long-term security practices, and ensure timely patching and updates for the affected systems.

Immediate Steps to Take

Network administrators should consider implementing filtering mechanisms to block malicious CDP traffic and restrict access to vulnerable systems to mitigate the risk of exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regular security assessments, network segmentation, and continuous monitoring of network traffic can help detect and prevent potential vulnerabilities such as CVE-2023-20213.

Patching and Updates

Cisco may release patches or updates to address this vulnerability. It is essential for organizations to stay informed about security advisories and apply patches promptly to protect their systems from potential exploitation.