Cisco IOS XE Switch L2S Security Technical Implementation Guide

Overview

VersionDateFinding Count (22)Downloads
32025-05-19CAT I (High): 1CAT II (Medium): 17CAT III (Low): 4
STIG Description
This Security Technical Implementation Guide is published as a tool to improve the security of Department of Defense (DOD) information systems. The requirements are derived from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-53 and related documents. Comments or proposed revisions to this document should be sent via email to the following address: disa.stig_spt@mail.mil.
ClassifiedPublicSensitive
I - Mission Critical ClassifiedI - Mission Critical PublicI - Mission Critical Sensitive
II - Mission Support ClassifiedII - Mission Support PublicII - Mission Support Sensitive
III - Administrative ClassifiedIII - Administrative PublicIII - Administrative Sensitive

Findings - All

Finding IDSeverityTitleDescription
V-220649
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must uniquely identify and authenticate all network-connected endpoint devices before establishing any connection.Controlling LAN access via 802.1x authentication can assist in preventing a malicious user from connecting an unauthorized PC to a switch port to inje...
V-220650
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must authenticate all VLAN Trunk Protocol (VTP) messages with a hash function using the most secured cryptographic algorithm available.VLAN Trunk Protocol (VTP) provides central management of VLAN domains, thus reducing administration in a switched network. When configuring a new VLAN...
V-220651
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must manage excess bandwidth to limit the effects of packet flooding types of denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.Denial of service is a condition when a resource is not available for legitimate users. Packet flooding distributed DoS (DDoS) attacks are referred to...
V-220656
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must have BPDU Guard enabled on all user-facing or untrusted access switch ports.If a rogue switch is introduced into the topology and transmits a Bridge Protocol Data Unit (BPDU) with a lower bridge priority than the existing root...
V-220657
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must have STP Loop Guard enabled.The Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) loop guard feature provides additional protection against STP loops. An STP loop is created when an STP blocking port...
V-220658
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must have Unknown Unicast Flood Blocking (UUFB) enabled.Access layer switches use the Content Addressable Memory (CAM) table to direct traffic to specific ports based on the VLAN number and the destination ...
V-220659
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must have DHCP snooping for all user VLANs to validate DHCP messages from untrusted sources.In an enterprise network, devices under administrative control are trusted sources. These devices include the switches, routers, and servers in the ne...
V-220660
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must have IP Source Guard enabled on all user-facing or untrusted access switch ports.IP Source Guard provides source IP address filtering on a Layer 2 port to prevent a malicious host from impersonating a legitimate host by assuming th...
V-220661
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must have Dynamic Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) Inspection (DAI) enabled on all user VLANs.DAI intercepts Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) requests and verifies that each of these packets has a valid IP-to-MAC address binding before updatin...
V-220664
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must implement Rapid STP where VLANs span multiple switches with redundant links.Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is implemented on bridges and switches to prevent layer 2 loops when a broadcast domain spans multiple bridges and switch...
V-220665
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must enable Unidirectional Link Detection (UDLD) to protect against one-way connections.In topologies where fiber optic interconnections are used, physical misconnections can occur that allow a link to appear to be up when there is a mism...
V-220666
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must have all trunk links enabled statically.When trunk negotiation is enabled via Dynamic Trunk Protocol (DTP), considerable time can be spent negotiating trunk settings (802.1q or ISL) when a n...
V-220667
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must have all disabled switch ports assigned to an unused VLAN.It is possible that a disabled port that is assigned to a user or management VLAN becomes enabled by accident or by an attacker and as a result gains ...
V-220668
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must not have the default VLAN assigned to any host-facing switch ports.In a VLAN-based network, switches use the default VLAN (i.e., VLAN 1) for in-band management and to communicate with other networking devices using Sp...
V-220669
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must have the default VLAN pruned from all trunk ports that do not require it.The default VLAN (i.e., VLAN 1) is a special VLAN used for control plane traffic such as Spanning-Tree Protocol (STP), Dynamic Trunking Protocol (DTP)...
V-220670
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must not use the default VLAN for management traffic.Switches use the default VLAN (i.e., VLAN 1) for in-band management and to communicate with directly connected switches using Spanning-Tree Protocol (...
V-220671
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must have all user-facing or untrusted ports configured as access switch ports.Double encapsulation can be initiated by an attacker who has access to a switch port belonging to the native VLAN of the trunk port. Knowing the victi...
V-220672
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must have the native VLAN assigned to an ID other than the default VLAN for all 802.1q trunk links.VLAN hopping can be initiated by an attacker who has access to a switch port belonging to the same VLAN as the native VLAN of the trunk link connectin...
V-220655
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must have Root Guard enabled on all switch ports connecting to access layer switches.Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) does not provide any means for the network administrator to securely enforce the topology of the switched network. Any sw...
V-220662
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must have Storm Control configured on all host-facing switchports.A traffic storm occurs when packets flood a LAN, creating excessive traffic and degrading network performance. Traffic storm control prevents network ...
V-220663
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must have IGMP or MLD Snooping configured on all VLANs.IGMP and MLD snooping provides a way to constrain multicast traffic at Layer 2. By monitoring the IGMP or MLD membership reports sent by hosts within ...
V-220673
LOWMEDIUMHIGH
The Cisco switch must not have any switchports assigned to the native VLAN.Double encapsulation can be initiated by an attacker who has access to a switch port belonging to the native VLAN of the trunk port. Knowing the victi...