CVE-2023-20262 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

This CVE details a vulnerability in the SSH service of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager that could be exploited by a remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition specifically for SSH access.

Understanding CVE-2023-20262

This vulnerability affects the SSH service of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, potentially allowing an attacker to crash the SSH process, leading to a DoS situation. Notably, this issue does not impact web UI access.

What is CVE-2023-20262?

The vulnerability in the SSH service of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager stems from inadequate resource management during system error conditions. Attackers can leverage this flaw by sending malicious traffic to the system, causing the SSH process to crash and restart, thereby affecting SSH service.

The Impact of CVE-2023-20262

The impact of this vulnerability is limited to a DoS condition for SSH access, with no impact on the overall system functionality. It poses a risk of disruption to SSH service availability without affecting other system features like web UI access.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-20262

This section delves into the specifics of the vulnerability, including the affected systems and versions, as well as the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises due to insufficient resource management during system error conditions, enabling attackers to disrupt SSH service by crashing the SSH process through malicious traffic.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects multiple versions of the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, ranging from 17.2.4 to 20.10.1.2, and the Cisco SD-WAN vManage versions 17.2.6 to 20.10.1.2. Additionally, the Cisco SD-WAN vSmart product is also affected.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted traffic towards the affected system, triggering the crash and subsequent restart of the SSH process, leading to a denial of service for SSH access.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-20262, immediate steps, as well as long-term security practices and patching procedures, are crucial to mitigate risks and enhance the security posture of affected systems.

Immediate Steps to Take

Implement network segmentation, access controls, and monitoring to detect and prevent potential attacks targeting the SSH service. It is advisable to restrict access to SSH services to only authorized users and implement firewall rules to filter malicious traffic.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regular security assessments, updates, and training for IT personnel to recognize and respond to security incidents are essential for maintaining a secure network environment. Continuous monitoring and timely application of security patches are critical for preventing exploitation of known vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Cisco has released patches and updates to address the vulnerability in affected versions of the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager and Cisco SD-WAN vManage. Organizations should promptly apply these patches to remediate the vulnerability and enhance the security of their network infrastructure.