CVE-2012-2488 in IOS XR
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco IOS XR before 4.2.1 on ASR 9000 series devices and CRS series devices allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (packet transmission outage) via a crafted packet, aka Bug IDs CSCty94537 and CSCtz62593.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/25/2021
Cisco IOS XR software running on ASR 9000 series and CRS series network devices contains a vulnerability that enables remote attackers to trigger a denial of service condition through the careful construction of network packets. This flaw affects versions prior to 4.2.1 and specifically impacts the packet processing mechanisms within the routing engine. The vulnerability manifests when the system receives malformed packets that exploit an insufficient input validation routine in the packet handling subsystem. The affected devices experience a complete packet transmission outage as the system becomes unresponsive to legitimate traffic. This represents a critical security weakness that undermines network availability and can result in significant service disruption for organizations relying on these core networking platforms. The vulnerability has been categorized under CWE-129 as an insufficient input validation issue, where the system fails to properly validate the boundaries of input data before processing. From an operational perspective, this flaw enables attackers to perform remote denial of service attacks without requiring authentication or privileged access to the network infrastructure. The attack vector is particularly dangerous as it can be executed from external network locations, making it accessible to a wide range of potential threat actors. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption, as it can compromise network reliability and potentially affect business continuity for enterprises that depend on these carrier-grade routers for their core network operations. Organizations utilizing these devices face the risk of extended outages that could affect multiple network segments and services. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1498 which describes denial of service attacks targeting network infrastructure. Network administrators should prioritize patching affected systems to mitigate this risk and implement network segmentation strategies to limit potential attack surface. The flaw demonstrates the importance of robust input validation in network operating systems and highlights the need for continuous security assessments of critical infrastructure components. Remediation requires updating to Cisco IOS XR 4.2.1 or later versions, which contain the necessary code modifications to properly validate incoming packet structures. Additional defensive measures include implementing ingress filtering and monitoring for anomalous packet patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.