Objectives:

[1] To develop a buffer overflow attack on a cisco switch and show how to mitigate it

An experiment is not required, instead critical write up is required showing hypothetically how it would be implemented

[2] To explore the various ways via which a buffer overflow attack on a Cisco switch can be detected

[3] To explore the various methods via which a buffer overflow attack on a cisco switch can be mitigated

To attain the above objectives, it is important to understand the key research questions that shall be answered by every objective. These research questions serve as the guiding principle towards the implementation of the research objectives. Consequently, this dissertation must answer the questions below:

[1] What is a buffer overflow attack?

[2] How do you implement a Buffer Overflow on a Cisco switch?

Example: making the switch work like a HUB by flooding the MAC address table

[3] Which tools, methods and strategies are effective in detecting buffer overflow attacks on a Cisco Switch?

Example: using SNMP to pull MAC table

using SNMP trap for mac address saturation

[4] How is a buffer overflow attack on a cisco mitigated through port security?