CVE-2013-1102 in Wireless LAN Controller Software
Summary
by MITRE
The Wireless Intrusion Prevention System (wIPS) component on Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) devices with software 7.0 before 7.0.235.0, 7.1 and 7.2 before 7.2.110.0, and 7.3 before 7.3.101.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reload) via crafted IP packets, aka Bug ID CSCtx80743.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-1102 affects Cisco Wireless LAN Controller devices within the Wireless Intrusion Prevention System component, specifically targeting versions prior to the mentioned patches. This flaw represents a critical denial of service vulnerability that can be exploited by remote attackers to force device reloads, effectively disrupting wireless network operations and potentially causing significant downtime for organizations relying on Cisco wireless infrastructure.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the crafting of malicious IP packets that are processed by the wIPS component of the Wireless LAN Controller. When these specially constructed packets are received by the affected device, they trigger an unexpected behavior in the system's packet processing logic that leads to a device crash and subsequent automatic reload. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, though the specific implementation appears to involve improper input validation within network packet handling routines. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic example of how network protocol processing can be manipulated to cause system instability through carefully crafted malformed data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can affect enterprise wireless networks that depend on continuous availability for business operations. Organizations utilizing Cisco WLC devices in mission-critical environments may experience unauthorized network downtime, potentially affecting communications, security monitoring capabilities, and overall network infrastructure reliability. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not require physical access or network credentials to exploit the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in environments where wireless security is paramount. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001, which involves network denial of service attacks, and represents a significant risk to the availability aspect of the CIA triad.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate deployment of the vendor-provided patches for the affected software versions, as well as network segmentation and access control measures to limit exposure. Organizations should implement network monitoring to detect unusual packet patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and establish incident response procedures for handling device reload events. The patching process should be carefully planned to minimize disruption, as the device reload functionality could be exploited during the update process itself. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as access control lists and firewall rules to restrict unnecessary traffic to the affected WLC components, while maintaining proper logging and audit capabilities to track any potential exploitation attempts.