Scribd
Upload
258 views18 pages

IEEE802.1q VLAN

IEEE 802.1q defines VLAN tagging which allows multiple bridged networks to share the same physical link without leaking information between networks. It adds a 32-bit field to Ethernet frames containing a 12-bit VLAN ID and other fields. This standard allows networks to segment traffic using virtual LANs at Layer 2. The document discusses VLAN tagging, exploits, and using a tagging server and switch configuration to isolate VLANs and filter spoofed packets for increased security.

Uploaded by

rbruma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
258 views18 pages

IEEE802.1q VLAN

IEEE 802.1q defines VLAN tagging which allows multiple bridged networks to share the same physical link without leaking information between networks. It adds a 32-bit field to Ethernet frames containing a 12-bit VLAN ID and other fields. This standard allows networks to segment traffic using virtual LANs at Layer 2. The document discusses VLAN tagging, exploits, and using a tagging server and switch configuration to isolate VLANs and filter spoofed packets for increased security.

Uploaded by

rbruma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 18

IEEE 802.

1q - VLANs

Nick Poorman
dot1q
• IEEE standard can be found here:
http://standards.ieee.org/getieee802/802.1.h
tml
• RFC 3069 can be found here:
http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc3069.html
dot1q
• VLAN Tagging - A networking standard written
by the IEEE 802.1 workgroup allowing multiple
bridged networks to transparently share the
same physical link without leakage of
information between networks.
Difference between a subnet and a
VLAN?
• A subnet(Layer 3): part of the IP address
space, eg 192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0,
10.1.1.1/255.255.255.0 (10.x.x.x networks
normally have 255.0.0.0 as the subnet)
• VLAN(Layer 2): A “Virtual” LAN is a section of
ports on a/many switch[es] that act as if they
are their own separate LAN – can have many
different IP subnets as VLANs are not based on
IP’s.
Frame Format
• Does not actually encapsulate the original frame. Instead adds a 32-bit field between the source
MAC address and the EtherType/Length fields of the original frame.
• Double/Tripple tagging is allowed. Exploit?
• Tag Protocol Identifier (TPID): a 16-bit field set to a value of 0x8100 in order to identify the frame
as an IEEE 802.1Q-tagged frame. This field is located at the same position as the EtherType/Size
field in untagged frames, and is thus used to distinguish the frame from untagged frames.
• Priority Code Point (PCP): a 3-bit field which refers to the IEEE 802.1p priority. It indicates the
frame priority level from 0 (lowest) to 7 (highest), which can be used to prioritize different classes
of traffic (voice, video, data, etc).
• Canonical Format Indicator (CFI): a 1-bit field. If the value of this field is 1, the MAC address is in
non-canonical format. If the value is 0, the MAC address is in canonical format. It is always set to
zero for Ethernet switches. CFI is used for compatibility between Ethernet and Token Ring networks.
If a frame received at an Ethernet port has a CFI set to 1, then that frame should not be bridged to
an untagged port.
• VLAN Identifier (VID): a 12-bit field specifying the VLAN to which the frame belongs. A value of 0
means that the frame doesn't belong to any VLAN; in this case the 802.1Q tag specifies only a
priority and is referred to as a priority tag. The hexadecimal value of 0xFFF is reserved. All other
values may be used as VLAN identifiers, allowing up to 4094 VLANs. On bridges, VLAN 1 is often
reserved for management.
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.1Q
Ethernet Frame (Layer 2)
Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol
(MSTP)
• Originally defined in IEEE 802.1s
• Merged into IEEE 802.1q-2003
• Layer 2 protocol used to prevent bridge loops in
the network topology
– Select the root bridge
– Determine the least costs paths to the root
– Disable all other paths to the root
• Per-VLAN MSTP configures a separate Spanning
Tree for each VLAN group and blocks all but one
of the possible alternate paths within each
Spanning Tree
802.1q/Cisco ISL Trunking Protocol
• Allows multiple VLANs to span multiple
switches
Using VLANs for Security ….Good or
Bad?
• VLANs were not intended to be used for
isolation, a founding principle of security,
however they are being used for just that.
• There are inherent vulnerabilities with using
VLANs for isolation.
• http://www.spirit.com/Network/net0103.html
VLAN Exploits
• Packets hop to a different VLAN
– For example: Systems have established TCP/IP
communications on the same VLAN, then the switch
gets configured so that one system's port now belongs
to a different VLAN. Communications continues
between the two systems because each has the MAC
address of the other in its ARP cache, and the bridge
knows which destination MAC address gets directed
to which port.
– Scapy: a script-kiddie program to test the 802.1q
network for vulnerabilities.
• http://www.darknet.org.uk/2007/05/scapy-interactive-
network-packet-manipulation/-Scapy
VLAN Exploits
• Multiple tags can be used to route over trunks
• Layer 3 routing device can be used to route
packets from one VLAN to the next. This
causes problems with our isolation principle.
Experiment Isolation in a Secure
Cluster Testbed
• http://www.usenix.org/event/cset08/tech/full_papers/lahey/lahey_html/

• After reading this white paper on the DETER


cluster testbed (modeled after Utah’s
Emulab), the idea of a “Tagger” being used as
a means of isolating experiments into their
own network, seemed intriguing.
• Decided to use it as a means of extreme
isolation for each node on the network to
protect themselves from each other as well as
the outside world.
Solution?
• The Tagger.
– In order to use VLANs as a means of secure isolation
there must be a check to verify a packet passing
through the network, is not malicious. This is
relatively simple to do by having a “bridge device”
sitting in front of the switch.
– This server is responsible for doing Layer 2 tagging of
the VLAN ID.
– By keeping a static table of MAC address to VLAN ID
the tagging server and the switch can do low level
packet filtering.
The Tagging Server
• By keeping a static table of MAC address to VLAN ID mappings
we can tag packets before they enter the switch with the
appropriate VLAN ID as well as filter packets coming from the
switch on the trunk port, that have been spoofed with
another machines MAC address.
• As a packet enters the tagging server the destination MAC
address is inspected in the packet and looked up in the table.
• If a corresponding VLAN ID is found for the destination MAC,
the packet will be tagged with the VLAN ID information and
will be forwarded onto the switch. If a corresponding VLAN ID
is not found in the table the packet will be dropped.
• (ebtables can do the filtering) – essentially IPTables for layer 2
The Switch
• A packet entering the switch on the trunk port
will have its MAC header inspected for the
destination address.
• If the MAC address and the VLAN ID pair are
found in the MAC:port forwarding table a unicast
packet will be sent out the port assigned to that
VLAN ID, else it will discard the packet.
• If a packet enters the switch through an access
port the switch will tag the packet with the VLAN
ID of the port in which the packet entered
through.
Summary
• This solution will now prevent a host from
spoofing its MAC address and having the packet
forwarded to the VLAN of the spoofed host.
• In the scenario where a host spoofs their MAC
address the packet entering the access port of
the switch will be tagged by the switch with the
VLAN ID associated with the port (something the
host cannot spoof) and will be forwarded to the
tagging server(bridge device) for verification that
the source MAC address in the packet does in fact
match the VLAN ID tagged by the switch.
Side Note
• Bridge firewalls should exist between each
element on the network to prevent malicious
traffic from passing between each device.
• The static MAC:port table should be managed
with MIB’s and SNMP. We can now control
updates such as nodes being added, removed,
etc. remotely from a management server on the
management network.
• PVLANs are essentially the same thing however using the
tagger we can restrict multicast distribution to selected
VLANs.
VMware has done it again!
• vSphere (previously ESX server) has a hypervisor
that plays god mode for us and makes sure that
packets are not spoofed.
– Each time a packet is sent out a virtual network
interface the hypervisor checks the MAC address
against the assigned MAC in the VM’s XML file. If they
are not the same the packet gets dropped.
• No spanning tree protocol exploits, due to no
spanning tree implementation.
– vSphere does not allow switch interfaces to connect
to other switch interfaces therefore no loops can be
created

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy