CVE-2009-2976 in Aironet AP1200
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Aironet Lightweight Access Point (AP) devices send the contents of certain multicast data frames in cleartext, which allows remote attackers to discover Wireless LAN Controller MAC addresses and IP addresses, and AP configuration details, by sniffing the wireless network.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/17/2017
Cisco Aironet Lightweight Access Point devices are critical components in enterprise wireless networking infrastructure, serving as the bridge between wireless clients and wired networks while maintaining communication with centralized Wireless LAN Controllers. These devices operate within the IEEE 802.11 wireless standard framework and utilize specific protocols for controller communication and wireless client management. The vulnerability described in CVE-2009-2976 represents a significant security flaw in the wireless protocol implementation where certain multicast data frames are transmitted without proper encryption. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-310 category of Cryptographic Issues, specifically involving weak encryption or lack of encryption in network communications. The flaw manifests when access points broadcast multicast frames containing sensitive information about the wireless network infrastructure, including controller MAC addresses, IP addresses, and access point configuration details.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the wireless frame level where multicast traffic intended for specific groups of devices is transmitted in cleartext over the wireless medium. This cleartext transmission exposes critical network topology information and configuration parameters that would normally be protected within a secure wireless environment. The vulnerability specifically affects the Lightweight Access Point protocol implementation where certain multicast frames are not encrypted even when the wireless network employs WPA or WPA2 security protocols. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can leverage standard wireless network sniffing tools to capture these unencrypted multicast frames from the wireless airwaves. The exposure of controller MAC addresses and IP addresses provides attackers with precise targeting information for further attacks, while access point configuration details can reveal network design weaknesses, authentication methods, and potential attack vectors. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1046 Network Service Scanning and T1041 Exfiltration, as it enables both reconnaissance and information gathering activities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks against the wireless infrastructure. Network reconnaissance capabilities are significantly enhanced as attackers can map the wireless network topology without requiring physical access or advanced attack tools. The exposure of Wireless LAN Controller addresses allows for targeted attacks against the central management infrastructure, potentially leading to complete wireless network compromise. Configuration details reveal network implementation specifics including authentication methods, security protocols in use, and network segmentation strategies that attackers can leverage for privilege escalation or lateral movement attacks. This vulnerability essentially undermines the fundamental security assumptions of wireless network implementations, as it provides attackers with information that should remain protected within a secure wireless environment. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where wireless networks support critical business applications and sensitive data communications, as the exposure of controller information can lead to complete network compromise and data breaches.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require both immediate and long-term security measures to address the exposed information and prevent further exploitation. Organizations should immediately implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the impact of information disclosure, while also upgrading affected access point firmware to versions that properly encrypt multicast frames. Network administrators should deploy wireless intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious multicast traffic patterns and implement proper network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The implementation of stronger wireless security protocols including WPA3 or enhanced WPA2 configurations can help mitigate the impact, though the specific firmware vulnerability requires official patches from Cisco. Regular security assessments and wireless network audits should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network components, as this represents a systemic issue in wireless network security implementation. Organizations should also consider implementing network access control lists and firewall rules to limit communication between wireless access points and controllers, reducing the attack surface and preventing exploitation of the information disclosure vulnerability.