[ISN] Cisco switch password flaw could give access

From: InfoSec News (isnat_private)
Date: Sun Apr 27 2003 - 23:18:56 PDT

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    http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/30402.html
    
    By John Leyden
    Posted: 25/04/2003
    
    Cisco yesterday urged users of a particular version of its core router
    operating system to upgrade following the discovery of a potential
    serious password vulnerability.
    
    Anyone who can obtain command line access to an affected switch can
    bypass password authentication and change network configurations
    without needing to know the relevant "enable" password, Cisco advised
    yesterday.
    
    "If local user authentication is enabled, a valid username can be used
    to gain access to the switch without a valid password. This same local
    user could then enter enable without a valid password," Cisco
    explains.
    
    The problem affects users of Cisco Catalyst 4000, 6000, and 6500 LAN
    switches running Catalyst OS software version 7.5(1) only. No other
    releases of Cisco Catalyst OS software are affected by this
    vulnerability. Catalyst hardware running Cisco IOS is similarly
    unaffected by the vulnerability.
    
    The networking giant says that the issue is yet to be maliciously
    exploited, to the best of its knowledge.
    
    Cisco advises affected users to upgrade to version 7.6(1) of its Cat
    OS software in order to plug up the security loophole. Cisco is making
    this software available as a free upgrade.
    
    Further details on the problem, and how to obtain fixed version of the
    software, are explained in greater depth in Cisco's advisory here [1].
    
    [1] http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20030424-catos.shtml
    
    
    
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