Bugtraq mailing list archives
Re: Infosec.19990305.macof.a
From: david () FUNDY CA (David Maxwell)
Date: Thu, 6 May 1999 22:50:53 -0300
On Wed, May 05, 1999 at 09:15:25AM +0100, ian.vitek () INFOSEC SE wrote:
Infosec Security Vulnerability Report No: Infosec.19990305.macof.a ===================================== Vulnerability Summary --------------------- Problem: Due to limitation with ARP/MAC-tables; switches could start sending packages to all ports, other network devices could hang, crash or reboot if they receive lots of MAC-addresses.
This doesn't seem like a major issue, as long as PER PORT Mac limit < x < y < PER SWITCH Mac limit and y-x is a reasonable size. Since you can only generate Mac addresses which will be recorded on the port of the switch your attacking box is connected to, you won't be able to overload the box entirely. You will be able to knock valid local (i.e. on your segment) Macs out of the table, but this will only give the switch a little extra work to do (packet replication). All the traffic to or from hosts on the same port as you should already be sniffable anyway. Displacing existing Macs will disrupt traffic as mentioned, but it's worth noting that on some brands of VLAN capable switch, the same Mac can exist without conflict in more than 1 VLAN. So you'll only be affecting the VLAN you're connected to. -- David Maxwell, david () vex net|david () maxwell net --> Mastery of UNIX, like mastery of language, offers real freedom. The price of freedom is always dear, but there's no substitute. Personally, I'd rather pay for my freedom than live in a bitmapped, pop-up-happy dungeon like NT. - Thomas Scoville
Current thread:
- Infosec.19990305.macof.a ian.vitek () INFOSEC SE (May 05)
- Re: Infosec.19990305.macof.a Emil Isberg (May 06)
- Re: Infosec.19990305.macof.a David Maxwell (May 06)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: Infosec.19990305.macof.a Glen Turner (May 06)
- Re: Infosec.19990305.macof.a Alan Cox (May 07)
- Re: Infosec.19990305.macof.a Greg A. Woods (May 08)
- Re: Infosec.19990305.macof.a Alan Cox (May 09)
- OpenLinux 2.2: LISA install leaves root access without password Andrew McRory (May 08)
- Re: [linux-security] OpenLinux 2.2: LISA install leaves root Ralf Flaxa (May 09)
- SunOS 5.7 rmmount, no nosuid. Jonas Stahre (May 10)
- Re: SunOS 5.7 rmmount, no nosuid. C.J. Oster (May 10)
- nidsbench announcement Dug Song (May 13)
- Re: Infosec.19990305.macof.a Alan Cox (May 07)
- Adminisrivia Aleph One (May 10)