CVE-2015-1612 in OpenDaylight Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
OpenFlow plugin for OpenDaylight before Helium SR3 allows remote attackers to spoof the SDN topology and affect the flow of data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-1612 resides within the OpenFlow plugin of the OpenDaylight software platform, specifically affecting versions prior to Helium SR3. This issue represents a significant security flaw that undermines the integrity of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) environments by enabling unauthorized entities to manipulate the network topology information. The OpenDaylight platform serves as a foundational component for SDN controllers, facilitating communication between network devices and centralized control applications through the OpenFlow protocol. When compromised, this vulnerability creates a dangerous attack surface that can be exploited by remote adversaries to gain unauthorized control over network flow decisions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms within the OpenFlow plugin's handling of topology information received from network switches and other SDN devices. Attackers can exploit this weakness by injecting malicious topology data that appears legitimate to the controller, thereby causing the system to incorrectly map network connections and route traffic through unauthorized paths. The flaw specifically affects the plugin's ability to authenticate and verify the integrity of topology updates, allowing attackers to present false network topologies that the controller accepts as genuine. This manipulation occurs at the protocol level where the controller processes OpenFlow messages containing switch descriptions and topology information, creating a scenario where the SDN controller's view of the network becomes compromised.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple network disruption to encompass potential data interception, man-in-the-middle attacks, and complete network compromise. When an attacker successfully spoofs the SDN topology, they can redirect traffic flows to malicious endpoints, create denial-of-service conditions, or establish backdoor pathways for further exploitation. The affected environment becomes vulnerable to various attack vectors including traffic redirection, packet capture, and network segmentation bypasses that can lead to complete compromise of the SDN infrastructure. This vulnerability directly impacts the core principles of SDN security by undermining the controller's ability to maintain an accurate and trustworthy network topology, which is fundamental to proper network management and security enforcement.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to OpenDaylight Helium SR3 or later versions where this vulnerability has been addressed through enhanced topology validation mechanisms. Network administrators must also deploy additional monitoring solutions to detect anomalous topology changes and implement strict access controls for OpenFlow connections to limit potential attack vectors. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes inadequate access control in network protocols, and represents a significant concern for organizations implementing SDN architectures. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving network infrastructure manipulation and credential access through protocol manipulation, emphasizing the need for robust network segmentation and continuous monitoring of SDN controller communications to prevent unauthorized topology modifications that could lead to complete network compromise.