Cisco Aironet Access Points UDP Flooding Denial of Service Vulnerability

Vulnerability

A denial of service vulnerability exists in Cisco Aironet Access Points (APs) due to improper resource management when processing specific UDP packets. An unauthenticated, remote attacker can exploit this by sending a series of crafted UDP packets to a specific port on an affected device. The vulnerability affects various Cisco Aironet AP models running certain firmware versions; details are available in the Cisco security advisory [1].

Exploitation

An attacker with network access to the affected AP can exploit the vulnerability without authentication. The attacker sends a series of crafted UDP packets to a specific port on the device. No user interaction or special privileges are required. The attack can be performed remotely over the network.

Impact

Successful exploitation results in a denial of service condition. The attacker can either tear down the connection between the AP and the wireless LAN controller (WLC), preventing the AP from processing client traffic, or cause the vulnerable device to reload. After the attack, the affected device automatically recovers its normal functions without manual intervention.

Mitigation

Cisco has released free software updates to address this vulnerability. Customers should upgrade to a fixed software version as indicated in the Cisco Security Advisory [1]. No workarounds are available. Customers without service contracts should contact the Cisco TAC for assistance.