Re: VLAN Security

From: Lisa Napier (lnapierat_private)
Date: Wed Sep 08 1999 - 17:59:23 PDT

  • Next message: Stefan Stefanov: "Re: VLAN Security"

    Hi all,
    
    In our testing, working with default configurations of competitors
    products, we found roughly the same behavior.
    
    And if you are using ISL, this is not a problem, and packets are dropped
    accordingly.
    
    The implementation of 802.1q is focused on speed.  The changes necessary to
    function as the Bayswitch does, looking for the 802.1q on input would
    affect performance.  We are discussing the tradeoffs and options with
    product management at this time.
    
    The use of ISL trunking eliminates this problem, and improperly tagged
    packets are indeed dropped at the input port.  This is due to where this
    information is located in the frames.  ISL tags are prior to the
    destination mac address, 802.1q tags occur after the destination mac.  On
    these switches, the input processing only goes as far as the destination
    mac, and presumes that is all the information needed to make a
    determination as to where to forward the frame.
    
    It should also be noted that there are configuration workarounds.  This can
    occur ONLY from the native vlan.  Forwarding improperly tagged packets
    across an 802.1q trunk can be avoided by assigning an unused vlan number to
    the native vlan.
    
    Thank you,
    
    Lisa Napier
    Product Security Incident Response Team
    Cisco Systems
    
    
    
    
    At 11:23 AM 9/3/1999 +0300, Stefan Stefanov wrote:
    >bugtraqat_private wrote:
    > >
    > > To Bugtraq,
    > >
    > > We have recently conducted some testing into the security of the
    > > implementation of VLANs on a pair of Cisco Catalyst 2900 series
    > > switches and we feel that the results of this testing might be of some
    > > value to the readers.  Testing basically involved  injecting 802.1q
    > > frames with forged VLAN identifiers into the switch in an attempt to
    > > get the frame to jump VLANs.  A brief background is included below for
    > > those that might not be too familiar with VLANs.  Others should skip
    > > to the end for the results.
    > >
    >
    >Interesting proposal, but I think it is more or less Cisco specific.
    >Here I have a BayStack 350T-24 running software revision 1.0.0.2.
    >According to the documentation the switch has the following feature that
    >can be configured on per Port basis:
    >
    >Filter Tagged Frames: Allows you to set this port to filter (discard)
    >all received tagged packets.
    >
    >I think all the ethernet switches should filter all tagged frames when a
    >port is not a trunk port. This way a machine that is connected to a non
    >trunked port, should not be able to send frames with 802.1q tags in it.
    >
    >In your example the switch should have filtered the tagged frames.
    >
    >--
    >Best Regards,
    >
    >Stefan Stefanov
    >Orbitel Ltd.
    



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