CVE-2017-1000411: OpenFlow Plugin and OpenDayLight Controller versions Nitrogen, Carbon, Boron, Robert Varga, Anil Vishnoi contain a flaw when multiple 'expired' flows ...

Description

OpenFlow Plugin and OpenDayLight Controller versions Nitrogen, Carbon, Boron, Robert Varga, Anil Vishnoi contain a flaw when multiple 'expired' flows take up the memory resource of CONFIG DATASTORE which leads to CONTROLLER shutdown. If multiple different flows with 'idle-timeout' and 'hard-timeout' are sent to the Openflow Plugin REST API, the expired flows will eventually crash the controller once its resource allocations set with the JVM size are exceeded. Although the installed flows (with timeout set) are removed from network (and thus also from controller's operations DS), the expired entries are still present in CONFIG DS. The attack can originate both from NORTH or SOUTH. The above description is for a north bound attack. A south bound attack can originate when an attacker attempts a flow flooding attack and since flows come with timeouts, the attack is not successful. However, the attacker will now be successful in CONTROLLER overflow attack (resource consumption). Although, the network (actual flow tables) and operational DS are only (~)1% occupied, the controller requests for resource consumption. This happens because the installed flows get removed from the network upon timeout.

Metrics

EPSS Probability

1.60%

72.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-404

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Opendaylight	Opendaylight	boron
Opendaylight	Opendaylight	carbon
Opendaylight	Opendaylight	nitrogen
Opendaylight	Openflow	boron
Opendaylight	Openflow	carbon
Opendaylight	Openflow	nitrogen

References

http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2018/q1/52Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/102736Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2018/q1/52Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/102736Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry

Timeline

Published: Jan 31, 2018
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-1000411?

OpenFlow Plugin and OpenDayLight Controller versions Nitrogen, Carbon, Boron, Robert Varga, Anil Vishnoi contain a flaw when multiple 'expired' flows take up the memory resource of CONFIG DATASTORE which leads to CONTROLLER shutdown. If multiple different flows with 'idle-timeout' and 'hard-timeout' are sent to the Openflow Plugin REST API, the expired flows will eventually crash the controller once its resource allocations set with the JVM size are exceeded. Although the installed flows (with timeout set) are removed from network (and thus also from controller's operations DS), the expired entries are still present in CONFIG DS. The attack can originate both from NORTH or SOUTH. The above description is for a north bound attack. A south bound attack can originate when an attacker attempts a flow flooding attack and since flows come with timeouts, the attack is not successful. However, the attacker will now be successful in CONTROLLER overflow attack (resource consumption). Although, the network (actual flow tables) and operational DS are only (~)1% occupied, the controller requests for resource consumption. This happens because the installed flows get removed from the network upon timeout.

How severe is CVE-2017-1000411?

Severity scoring for CVE-2017-1000411 is pending analysis. The EPSS model estimates a 1.60% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2017-1000411?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

How Strix Helps

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