Summary

• A vulnerability in the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) subsystem of Cisco IOS Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition of the Precision Time Protocol.

  The vulnerability is due to insufficient processing of PTP packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a custom PTP packet to, or through, an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a DoS condition for the PTP subsystem, resulting in time synchronization issues across the network.

  Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.

  This advisory is available at the following link:
  https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20180926-ptp

  This advisory is part of the September 26, 2018, release of the Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software Security Advisory Bundled Publication, which includes 12 Cisco Security Advisories that describe 13 vulnerabilities. For a complete list of the advisories and links to them, see Cisco Event Response: September 2018 Semiannual Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software Security Advisory Bundled Publication.

Affected Products

• Vulnerable Products

  This vulnerability affects the following Cisco products that are running a vulnerable release of Cisco IOS Software and are configured to process PTP packets:

  • 2500 Series Connected Grid Switches
  • Connected Grid Ethernet Switch Module Interface Card
  • Industrial Ethernet 2000 Series Switches
  • Industrial Ethernet 3000 Series Switches
  • Industrial Ethernet 3010 Series Switches
  • Industrial Ethernet 4000 Series Switches
  • Industrial Ethernet 4010 Series Switches
  • Industrial Ethernet 5000 Series Switches

  The Precision Time Protocol is enabled by default.

  For information about which Cisco IOS Software releases are vulnerable and the availability of fixed software for vulnerable products, see the Fixed Software section of this advisory.

  Determining the Cisco IOS Software Release

  To determine which Cisco IOS Software release is running on a device, administrators can log in to the device, use the show version command in the CLI, and then refer to the system banner that appears. If the device is running Cisco IOS Software, the system banner displays text similar to Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software or Cisco IOS Software. The banner also displays the installed image name in parentheses, followed by the Cisco IOS Software release number and release name. Some Cisco devices do not support the show version command or may provide different output.

  The following example shows the output of the command for a device that is running Cisco IOS Software Release 15.5(2)T1 and has an installed image name of C2951-UNIVERSALK9-M:

  Router> show version
  
  Cisco IOS Software, C2951 Software (C2951-UNIVERSALK9-M), Version 15.5(2)T1, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
  Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport
  Copyright (c) 1986-2015 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
  Compiled Mon 22-Jun-15 09:32 by prod_rel_team
  .
  .
  .

  For information about the naming and numbering conventions for Cisco IOS Software releases, see the Cisco IOS and NX-OS Software Reference Guide.

  Products Confirmed Not Vulnerable

  Only products listed in the Vulnerable Products section of this advisory are known to be affected by this vulnerability.

  Cisco has confirmed that this vulnerability does not affect the Industrial Ethernet 2000U Series Switches.

  Cisco has confirmed that this vulnerability does not affect Cisco IOS XE Software, Cisco IOS XR Software, or Cisco NX-OS Software.

Details

• To determine if the Precision Time Protocol is enabled, administrators can log in to the device, use the show ptp clock command in the CLI, and then review the output. The following output of the show ptp clock command shows the device is configured as a boundary clock:

  switch# show ptp clock
   PTP CLOCK INFO
    PTP Device Type: Boundary clock
    PTP Device Profile: Power Profile
    .
    .
    .
  

Workarounds

• There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.

Fixed Software

• Cisco has released free software updates that address the vulnerability described in this advisory. Customers may only install and expect support for software versions and feature sets for which they have purchased a license. By installing, downloading, accessing, or otherwise using such software upgrades, customers agree to follow the terms of the Cisco software license:
  https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/end-user-license-agreement.html

  Additionally, customers may only download software for which they have a valid license, procured from Cisco directly, or through a Cisco authorized reseller or partner. In most cases this will be a maintenance upgrade to software that was previously purchased. Free security software updates do not entitle customers to a new software license, additional software feature sets, or major revision upgrades.

  When considering software upgrades, customers are advised to regularly consult the advisories for Cisco products, which are available from the Cisco Security Advisories and Alerts page, to determine exposure and a complete upgrade solution.

  In all cases, customers should ensure that the devices to be upgraded contain sufficient memory and confirm that current hardware and software configurations will continue to be supported properly by the new release. If the information is not clear, customers are advised to contact the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) or their contracted maintenance providers.

  Customers Without Service Contracts

  Customers who purchase directly from Cisco but do not hold a Cisco service contract and customers who make purchases through third-party vendors but are unsuccessful in obtaining fixed software through their point of sale should obtain upgrades by contacting the Cisco TAC:
  https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/web/tsd-cisco-worldwide-contacts.html

  Customers should have the product serial number available and be prepared to provide the URL of this advisory as evidence of entitlement to a free upgrade.

  Cisco IOS Software

  To help customers determine their exposure to vulnerabilities in Cisco IOS Software, Cisco provides a tool, the Cisco IOS Software Checker, that identifies any Cisco Security Advisories that impact a specific Cisco IOS Software release and the earliest release that fixes the vulnerabilities described in each advisory (“First Fixed”). If applicable, the tool also returns the earliest release that fixes all the vulnerabilities described in all the advisories identified (“Combined First Fixed”).

  Customers can use this tool to perform the following tasks:

  • Initiate a search by choosing one or more releases from a drop-down list or uploading a file from a local system for the tool to parse
  • Enter the output of the show version command for the tool to parse
  • Create a custom search by including all previously published Cisco Security Advisories, a specific advisory, or all advisories in the most recent bundled publication

  To determine whether a release is affected by any published Cisco Security Advisory, use the Cisco IOS Software Checker on Cisco.com or enter a Cisco IOS Software release—for example, 15.1(4)M2—in the following field:

  By default, the Cisco IOS Software Checker includes results only for vulnerabilities that have a Critical or High Security Impact Rating (SIR). To include results for Medium SIR vulnerabilities, use the Cisco IOS Software Checker on Cisco.com and check the Medium check box in the Impact Rating drop-down list.

Exploitation and Public Announcements

• The Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) is not aware of any public announcements or malicious use of the vulnerability that is described in this advisory.

Source

• This vulnerability was found during the resolution of a Cisco TAC support case.

URL

• https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20180926-ptp

Revision History

• Version	Description	Section	Status	Date
  1.1	Added bug IDs. Removed Industrial Ethernet 2000U from Affected Products. Fixes are available for all platforms.	Cisco Bug IDs, Affected Products, and Fixed Software	Final	2019-July-15
  1.0	Initial public release.	—	Final	2018-September-26

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