[nsp] Cisco Security Advisory: Cisco CSS 11000 Series Content Services Switches Malformed UDP Packet Vulnerability

Thu Mar 4 12:01:28 EST 2004

   The CSS 11000 Series Content Services Switches are vulnerable to a Denial
   of Service (DoS) attack caused by malformed UDP packets received over the
   management port.

   This vulnerability is documented as Cisco bug ID CSCed45747. There is no
   workaround available to mitigate the effects of this vulnerability. Cisco
   is providing fixed software, and customers are recommended to upgrade to
   it.

   This advisory will be posted at
   http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20040304-css.shtml.

Affected Products

   The CSS 11000 Series Content Services Switches (formerly known as
   Arrowpoint) consist of the CSS 11050, CSS 11150, and CSS 11800 hardware
   platforms. They run the Cisco WebNS software.

   +------------------------------------------+
   |  WebNS Release  |   Affected Releases    |
   |      Train      |                        |
   |-----------------+------------------------|
   |5.0(x)           |earlier than            |
   |                 |05.0(04.07)S            |
   |-----------------+------------------------|
   |6.10(x)          |earlier than            |
   |                 |06.10(02.05)S           |
   +------------------------------------------+

   For clarification, the CSS 11500 Series Content Services Switches
   consisting of 11501, 11503, and 11506 , the Cisco Global Site Selector
   (GSS) series switches, and the Content Switching Module (CSM) are not
   affected by this vulnerability.

   No other Cisco products are currently known to be affected by this
   vulnerability.

   To determine your hardware model and software revision, type show chassis
   at the command line prompt.

Details

   If malformed UDP packets are sent to UDP port 5002, the default port for
   app-udp, on the management port of the CSS 11000 Series Content Services
   Switch running Cisco WebNS release 5.0(x) and 6.10(x) release trains the
   switch may reload. This vulnerability exists even when the Network
   Proximity feature is not configured on the CSS 11000 Series Content
   Services Switch. Please refer to
   http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/webscale/css/css_610/advcggd/proximty.htm
   for more details on the Network Proximity feature.

   Access to the management port of the CSS 11000 Series Content Services
   Switches is available solely through the physical management interface on
   the device; access via circuit VLANs is not implemented, and therefore the
   vulnerability can only be exploited through the management port.

   This vulnerability is documented in the Cisco Bug Toolkit (registered
   customers only) as Bug ID CSCed45747. Cisco WebNS release 7.10(x),
   7.20(x), and 7.30(x) release trains have also had code changes but due to
   architectural differences they are not affected by this vulnerability.

   The Internetworking Terms and Cisco Systems Acronyms online guides can be
   found at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/cisintwk/.

Impact

   Exploitation of this vulnerability results in a reload of the CSS 11000
   Series Content Services Switches. Repeated exploitation of the
   vulnerability may result in a Denial of Service (DoS) for the CSS 11000
   Series Content Services Switches.

Software Versions and Fixes

   +------------------------------------------+
   |  WebNS Release   |    Fixed Releases     |
   |      Train       |                       |
   |------------------+-----------------------|
   |5.0(x)            |05.0(04.07)S and later |
   |------------------+-----------------------|
   |6.10(x)           |06.10(02.05)S and later|
   +------------------------------------------+

   The procedure to upgrade to the fixed software version is detailed at
   http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/contnetw/ps789/products_administration_guide_chapter09186a0080176d04.html.

Obtaining Fixed Software

   Cisco is offering free software upgrades to address this vulnerability for
   all affected customers.

   Customers may only install and expect support for the feature sets they
   have purchased. By installing, downloading, accessing or otherwise using
   such software upgrades, Customers agree to be bound by the terms of
   Cisco's software license terms found at
   http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-license-agreement.html, or as otherwise set
   forth at the Cisco Connection Online Software Center at
   http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-center/sw-usingswc.shtml.

   Customers with contracts should obtain upgraded software through their
   regular update channels. For most customers, this means that upgrades
   should be obtained through the Software Center on Cisco's worldwide
   website at
   http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/webns-interim?psrtdcat20e2. To
   access the software download URL, you must be a registered user and you
   must be logged in.

   Customers whose Cisco products are provided or maintained through a prior
   or existing agreement with third-party support organizations such as Cisco
   Partners, authorized resellers, or service providers, should contact that
   support organization for assistance with obtaining the software
   upgrade(s).

   Customers who purchase direct from Cisco but who do not hold a Cisco
   service contract and customers who purchase through third-party vendors
   but are unsuccessful at obtaining fixed software through their point of
   sale should get their upgrades by contacting the Cisco Technical
   Assistance Center (TAC) using the contact information listed below. In
   these cases, customers are entitled to obtain a free upgrade to a later
   version of the same release or as indicated by the applicable corrected
   software version in the Software Versions and Fixes section (noted above).

   Cisco TAC contacts are as follows:

     * +1 800 553 2447 (toll free from within North America)
     * +1 408 526 7209 (toll call from anywhere in the world)
     * e-mail: tac at cisco.com

   See http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/687/Directory/DirTAC.shtml for
   additional TAC contact information, including special localized telephone
   numbers and instructions and e-mail addresses for use in various
   languages.

   Please have your product serial number available and give the URL of this
   notice as evidence of your entitlement to a upgrade. Upgrades for
   non-contract customers must be requested through the TAC.

   Please do not contact either "psirt at cisco.com" or
   "security-alert at cisco.com" for software upgrades.

Workarounds

   There is no workaround for this vulnerability. Customers may be able to
   mitigate the affects of the vulnerability by controlling access to the UDP
   port 5002 on the management port of the CSS 11000 Series Content Services
   Switch to allow access only from required network devices or by
   disallowing access if the Network Proximity feature is not configured.

   The Cisco PSIRT recommends that affected users upgrade to a fixed software
   version of code.

Exploitation and Public Announcements

   The Cisco PSIRT is not aware of any public announcements or malicious use
   of the vulnerability described in this advisory.

   This vulnerability was reported to Cisco PSIRT by Timothy Arnold.

Status of This Notice: FINAL

   This is a draft advisory. Although Cisco cannot guarantee the accuracy of
   all statements in this advisory, all of the facts have been checked to the
   best of our ability. Cisco does not anticipate issuing updated versions of
   this advisory unless there is some material change in the facts. Should
   there be a significant change in the facts, Cisco may update this
   advisory.

   A stand-alone copy or paraphrase of the text of this security advisory
   that omits the distribution URL in the following section is an
   uncontrolled copy, and may lack important information or contain factual
   errors.

Distribution

   This advisory will be posted on Cisco's worldwide website at
   http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20040304-css.shtml.

   In addition to worldwide web posting, a text version of this notice is
   clear-signed with the Cisco PSIRT PGP key having the fingerprint 8C82 5207
   0CA9 ED40 1DD2 EE2A 7B31 A8CF 32B6 B590 and is posted to the following
   e-mail and Usenet news recipients.

     * cust-security-announce at cisco.com
     * first-teams at first.org (includes CERT/CC)
     * bugtraq at securityfocus.com
     * vulnwatch at vulnwatch.org
     * cisco at spot.colorado.edu
     * cisco-nsp at puck.nether.net
     * full-disclosure at lists.netsys.com
     * comp.dcom.sys.cisco at newsgate.cisco.com

   Future updates of this advisory, if any, will be placed on Cisco's
   worldwide website, but may or may not be actively announced on mailing
   lists or newsgroups. Users concerned about this problem are encouraged to
   check the above URL for any updates.

Revision History

   +------------------------------------------+
   |Revision 1 |2004 March 04 |Initial Release|
   +------------------------------------------+

Cisco Security Procedures

   Complete information on reporting security vulnerabilities in Cisco
   products, obtaining assistance with security incidents, and registering to
   receive security information from Cisco, is available on Cisco's worldwide
   website at
   http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/sec_incident_response.shtml. This
   includes instructions for press inquiries regarding Cisco security
   notices. All Cisco security advisories are available at
   http://www.cisco.com/go/psirt.

   This advisory is copyright 2004 by Cisco Systems, Inc. This advisory may
   be redistributed freely after the release date given at the top of the
   text, provided that redistributed copies are complete and unmodified,
   including all date and version information.

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