Horizon Alert
Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters
Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series Switches and Cisco Catalyst 4500-X Series Switches are affected by a vulnerability within the Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) offload implementation. This flaw could permit an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause the iosd process to crash, leading to a denial-of-service condition. The issue stems from inadequate error handling when the header of a BFD packet is incomplete. A successful exploit might force a system reload.
- Vulnerable component: BFD offload implementation
- Core weakness: Incomplete error handling for BFD packets
- Main business impact: Denial of service; system reloads
Attack Path
How an attacker could exploit the issue
The Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) offload implementation on Cisco Catalyst switches is susceptible to a vulnerability. This flaw stems from inadequate error handling when a BFD packet header is incomplete. An attacker can exploit this by transmitting a specially crafted BFD message.
- Network exposure required.
- Attacker sends crafted BFD message.
- Triggers switch process crash.
Live Threat
Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context
This vulnerability could allow an attacker to cause a denial-of-service condition, potentially leading to a system crash or reload. The attack involves sending a specially crafted network message. This could disrupt network operations, impacting services and employee productivity. The known exploited vulnerabilities catalog indicates this CVE has been actively exploited.
- Likely attacker skill level: Low
- Required access or conditions: Network access
- Business risk or urgency: High
Priority actions
Operational Fix
Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps
This vulnerability impacts Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series and 4500-X Series Switches, potentially allowing remote attackers to cause a denial of service. The risk arises from incomplete error handling in the Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) offload implementation. An attacker could exploit this by sending a crafted BFD message, leading to a system reload. Organizations should prioritize the following steps to mitigate this risk.
- Identify affected switch assets.
- Restrict BFD traffic access.
- Apply vendor fix and verify.
