Cisco IOS contains buffer overflow in VTP VLAN name handling

2006-09-2700:00:00

www.kb.cert.org

0.444 Medium

EPSS

Percentile

97.4%

JSON

Overview

Cisco IOS fails to properly handle specially crafted VTP summary advertisement with overly long VLAN name. This vulnerability may allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial-of-service condition.

Description

Cisco’s VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP) provides the ability to manage the addition, deletion, and renaming of Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) across an entire network. VTP is supported on a number of different Cisco products in both the IOS and CatOS operating systems. Some versions of IOS and CatOS contain a buffer overflow vulnerability in their handling of certain VTP summary advertisements. According to Cisco Systems:

If a VTP summary advertisement is received with a Type-Length-Value (TLV) containing a VLAN name greater than 100 characters, the receiving switch will reset with an Unassigned Exception error. The packets must be received on a trunk enabled port, with a matching domain name and a matching VTP domain password (if configured).
This vulnerability may be triggered by sending a switch running certain versions of Cisco IOS software a VTP summary advertisement with a VLAN name greater than 100 bytes. VLAN names in VTP are limited to 255 bytes in length.

Note that this vulnerability affects Switches and Ethernet Switch Modules for Cisco 1800/2600/2800/3600/3700/3800 Series Routers running Cisco IOS software that have VTP Operating Mode as either “server” or “client”. See Cisco Security Response cisco-sr-20060913-vtp for more detailed version information. Switches running CatOS and those configured with VTP operating mode as “transparent” are not affected by this vulnerability

Impact

This vulnerability may allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial-of-service condition on an affected device.

Solution

We are unaware of a complete solution to this problem. In the meantime, the following workarounds may help to mitigate this vulnerability.

Apply a VTP domain password

See Cisco white paper SAFE Layer 2 Security In-Depth — Version 2 for information about setting a VTP domain password to prevent spoofed VTP summary advertisement messages from advertising an incorrect VLAN name.

Vendor Information

542108

Filter by status: All Affected Not Affected Unknown

Filter by content: __ Additional information available

__ Sort by: Status Alphabetical

Expand all

Javascript is disabled. Click here to view vendors.

Cisco Systems, Inc. __ Affected

Updated: September 27, 2006

Status

Affected

Vendor Statement

We have not received a statement from the vendor.

Vendor Information

The vendor has not provided us with any further information regarding this vulnerability.

Addendum

This issue is addressed by Cisco Security Response cisco-sr-20060913-vtp .

If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us [email](<mailto:[email protected]?Subject=VU%23542108 Feedback>).