BaseFortify

Executive Summary

This is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco NX-OS Software that allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to cause a denial of service by overwhelming system resources. It occurs because rate limiting was not properly applied to certain protocols. Attackers can exploit this by sending excessive UDP or TCP connections to a device's data plane interface, leading to instability in routing and control plane protocols, packet loss, and temporary disruptions.

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Detection Guidance

Monitor network traffic for unusually high UDP or TCP connection rates to data plane interfaces on Cisco NX-OS devices. Use tools like Wireshark or tcpdump to capture and analyze traffic patterns. Check system logs for signs of resource exhaustion or protocol instability.

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Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause network instability, packet loss, and temporary disruptions to routing and control plane protocols. It may lead to degraded network performance or complete outages for affected devices. The impact is temporary and resolves once the excessive traffic stops.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could impact compliance with GDPR and HIPAA by causing temporary disruptions in network services, leading to potential data processing interruptions or loss of connectivity for critical systems. GDPR requires timely data processing and availability, while HIPAA mandates continuous access to protected health information. A DoS condition may violate these requirements if it affects systems handling sensitive data.

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Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade affected Cisco NX-OS devices to the fixed software versions provided by Cisco. If immediate upgrading is not possible, implement network-level controls to limit excessive UDP or TCP traffic to data plane interfaces.

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