CVE-2014-3405 in IOS XE
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco IOS XE enables the IPv6 Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy Networks (aka RPL) on both the Autonomic Control Plane (ACP) and external Autonomic Networking Infrastructure (ANI) interfaces, which allows remote attackers to conduct route-injection attacks via crafted RPL advertisements on an ANI interface, aka Bug ID CSCuq22673.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/21/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-3405 affects Cisco IOS XE software implementations where the Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy Networks (RPL) is enabled on both the Autonomic Control Plane (ACP) and external Autonomic Networking Infrastructure (ANI) interfaces. This configuration creates a significant security risk as it allows unauthorized remote attackers to manipulate network routing decisions through the injection of malicious RPL advertisements. The flaw specifically exists within the ANI interface implementation, where legitimate RPL routing information can be overridden by crafted malicious packets. This represents a critical weakness in the network infrastructure's ability to maintain secure routing operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the improper handling of RPL advertisements on the ANI interface within Cisco IOS XE systems. When RPL is enabled on both ACP and ANI interfaces, the system fails to adequately validate incoming RPL routing information from external sources. This lack of proper input validation and authentication mechanisms allows attackers to inject false routing information that can influence network traffic paths. The vulnerability specifically impacts the routing protocol processing capabilities of the device, where legitimate routing updates from the ACP are not properly differentiated from potentially malicious updates originating from the ANI interface. The flaw enables attackers to manipulate routing decisions without requiring local access or elevated privileges, making it particularly dangerous for network infrastructure security.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a substantial risk to network integrity and availability. Attackers can leverage this weakness to redirect network traffic through compromised paths, potentially enabling man-in-the-middle attacks, traffic interception, or network disruption. The impact extends beyond simple routing manipulation as it can affect the overall network topology and security posture of the infrastructure. Organizations may experience unauthorized network access, data exfiltration, or denial of service conditions as routing information becomes corrupted or manipulated by malicious actors. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target affected systems from outside the network perimeter without requiring physical access or prior authentication credentials.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-284, which addresses inadequate access control mechanisms in network protocol implementations. Additionally, this weakness can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1071.004, which involves application layer protocol manipulation, and T1562.001, which covers implementation of security controls through network protocol manipulation. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling RPL on ANI interfaces when not required, implementing proper network segmentation, and applying the latest Cisco security patches. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous RPL advertisement patterns, and access controls should be strengthened to prevent unauthorized modifications to routing configurations. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper interface configuration management and the need for robust validation mechanisms in network protocol implementations to prevent unauthorized routing manipulation attacks.