CVE-2017-6665 in IOS
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the Autonomic Networking feature of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to reset the Autonomic Control Plane (ACP) of an affected system and view ACP packets that are transferred in clear text within an affected system, an Information Disclosure Vulnerability. More Information: CSCvd51214. Known Affected Releases: Denali-16.2.1 Denali-16.3.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6665 resides within the Autonomic Networking feature of Cisco IOS and IOS XE software implementations, representing a critical security weakness that fundamentally undermines the integrity and confidentiality of network control plane communications. This flaw specifically targets the Autonomic Control Plane (ACP) which serves as the backbone for automated network configuration and management functions within Cisco's networking infrastructure. The vulnerability manifests as an information disclosure issue that occurs when the ACP packets are transmitted in clear text format, creating a significant exposure point for network administrators and attackers alike.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms within the Autonomic Networking framework, allowing an unauthenticated attacker who possesses physical or logical access to the network segment to exploit this weakness. The attack vector requires only adjacent network access, meaning the attacker does not need to be remotely connected or have sophisticated network penetration capabilities. This adjacency requirement makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by anyone with access to the same network segment, including malicious insiders or compromised devices within the network perimeter. The flaw enables attackers to perform system resets on the ACP, effectively disrupting network operations while simultaneously gaining visibility into the unencrypted control plane communications.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe risk for organizations relying on Cisco's autonomic networking capabilities, as it allows attackers to intercept and analyze sensitive network control information that would normally be protected. The clear text transmission of ACP packets exposes critical network configuration data, routing information, and control plane protocols that could be leveraged to plan more sophisticated attacks or gain deeper network access. The ability to reset the ACP also introduces denial-of-service capabilities, potentially disrupting network operations and forcing administrators to manually intervene in the network management processes. This vulnerability directly violates the principles of network security by exposing control plane communications that should remain confidential and protected from unauthorized access.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including disabling the Autonomic Networking feature on impacted systems until proper patches are deployed, as recommended in the Cisco security advisory CSCvd51214. Network segmentation strategies should be enhanced to limit adjacent access to critical network infrastructure, and monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous ACP reset activities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses in network communications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol communication, specifically targeting network protocol analysis and information gathering activities. Organizations should also consider implementing network traffic encryption for all control plane communications and regularly review their network access controls to minimize the attack surface for adjacent network access scenarios.