TLStorm 2.0 Flaws & Network Security

In early May, critical vulnerabilities were discovered in the implementation of TLS communications in Aruba and Avaya switches. The security flaws, known as TLStorm 2.0, were found within the NanoSSL library and have created an opportunity for a ‘perfect storm’ for enterprises and MSPs relying on these switches within their networks. These flaws originate from TLStorm vulnerabilities discovered in March 2022, expanding the reach to millions of additional network infrastructure devices.

By exploiting these vulnerabilities, threat actors can take over Smart-UPS devices via the internet without user interaction, leading to the devices overloading and destroying themselves. The new vulnerabilities could allow attackers to take full control over switches, resulting in breaking of network segmentation that allows lateral movement to additional devices by changing the behavior of the switch. Security vulnerabilities like this one are especially troublesome to mitigate because they bypass traditional zero-trust protection measures.

Organizations with impacted devices have been issued patches to address most of the vulnerabilities, and in this case, it is hopefully very clear to all companies that these are patches that must be made immediately. But in general, staying on top of patch management and knowing which patches to prioritize is a notoriously tedious task for IT teams. TLStorm 2.0 is a notable example of why having a network automation solution in place that can automate software updates and patch management on network infrastructure gear like routers, switches and firewalls is a critical component of a sound network and security operations strategy.

If you haven’t implemented a network automation solution to automate network security updates, don’t despair. BackBox offers a free trial of our network automation software that is fully functional for 30 days that companies can leverage to get past the TLStorm 2.0 flaws and then pull your team together to solidify a strategy later. Companies can leverage the trial to do a backup of all their device configurations and then automate the patches needed to get beyond this vulnerability.

If you need support to deal with TLStorm 2.0 vulnerabilities, BackBox is here to help. Be sure to check out our 30-day free trial here.