CVE-2016-1364 in Wireless LAN Controller
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) Software 7.4 before 7.4.130.0(MD) and 7.5, 7.6, and 8.0 before 8.0.110.0(ED) allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reload) via crafted Bonjour traffic, aka Bug ID CSCur66908.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2024
Cisco Wireless LAN Controller software contains a vulnerability in its Bonjour service implementation that can be exploited to trigger a device reload through specially crafted network packets. This vulnerability affects specific versions of the WLC software including 7.4 before 7.4.130.0(MD) and 7.5, 7.6, and 8.0 before 8.0.110.0(ED). The flaw occurs when the system processes malformed Bonjour traffic, which is a zero-configuration networking protocol used for service discovery on local networks. When exploited, this vulnerability allows remote attackers to send malicious Bonjour packets that cause the wireless controller to crash and restart automatically.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the Bonjour service handler of the WLC software. The system fails to properly sanitize incoming Bonjour packets, particularly those containing malformed or unexpected data structures that are part of the DNS-based service discovery protocol. This lack of proper validation creates a condition where malformed packets can trigger an unexpected behavior in the device's processing logic, ultimately leading to a system crash and subsequent automatic reload. The vulnerability is classified as a denial of service condition because it effectively renders the wireless infrastructure unavailable to legitimate users while the device recovers from the crash.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on Cisco WLC deployments, as it can result in complete service interruption for wireless networks. When exploited, the device reload causes temporary loss of wireless connectivity for all connected clients, potentially affecting business operations, security monitoring, and network availability. 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 access is critical. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks and represents a classic buffer overflow or input validation flaw that can be categorized under CWE-121 for buffer overflow conditions.
Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-supplied patches and updates for the affected software versions to remediate this vulnerability. The Cisco security advisory provides specific release notes and upgrade procedures for each affected version, including the necessary firmware updates to prevent exploitation. Network segmentation and access control measures can provide temporary mitigation by limiting the exposure of WLC devices to untrusted networks, though this does not eliminate the risk entirely. Monitoring network traffic for suspicious Bonjour packet patterns and implementing intrusion detection systems can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in network services and highlights the need for regular security assessments of network infrastructure components. Security teams should also consider implementing network-wide monitoring to detect unusual device reload patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.