Cisco fixes five security flaws in router and IOS lines

Cisco is advising administrators to patch appliances as soon as possible following the release of five security updates that address flaws in a number of products, including those running the IOS and Content Delivery System platforms.

If exploited, the vulnerable components could be used for denial-of-service attacks and system crashes.

Cisco said in a security advisory that the update includes fixes for IOS XR devices used to power many of the company's networking hardware offerings.

The update includes fixes for flaws in the SSH and IP packet handling components which could be targeted for denial-of-service attacks.

Additionally, the company has released updates to address flaws in the RVS 4000 and WRVS4400N routers which could allow an attacker to take control of the devices and obtain user data.

The fifth security release patches a flaw in the Cisco Content Delivery System. The Internet Streamer component of the platform was found to be vulnerable to a denial-of-service attack.

An attacker could use a specially-crafted URL to cause the web server to crash, potentially allowing the attacker to take down content delivery services.

Cisco has released a series of software updates to address the flaws, and recommends that administrators check with service providers or test for compatibility prior to installation.