A junior network engineer is trying to change the native network ID to a non-default value that can then be applied consistently throughout the network environment. Which of the following issues is the engineer attempting to prevent?
Correct Answer: C
VLAN hopping is a type of network attack where an attacker can send or receive traffic from a VLAN that they are not supposed to access. VLAN hopping can allow an attacker to bypass security policies, access sensitive data, or launch other attacks on the network. VLAN hopping can be performed using two methods:
double tagging and switch spoofing1.
Double tagging is where the attacker sends a frame with two VLAN tags, one for the native VLAN and one for the target VLAN. The native VLAN is the VLAN that is used for untagged traffic on a trunk port. If the attacker's access port is in the same VLAN as the native VLAN, the switch will accept the frame and forward it on the trunk port. The switch will remove the first tag, which is the native VLAN, and send the frame with the second tag, which is the target VLAN. The frame will then reach the target VLAN and be processed by the devices in that VLAN.
Switch spoofing is where the attacker sends Dynamic Trunking Protocol (DTP) packets and tries to negotiate a trunk with the switch. DTP is a Cisco protocol that allows switches to automatically form trunks between them. If the switch's port is configured with the default dynamic auto or dynamic desirable mode, it will accept the DTP packets and form a trunk with the attacker. The attacker will then have access to all VLANs on the trunk.
To prevent VLAN hopping, the junior network engineer is trying to change the native network ID to a non-default value that can then be applied consistently throughout the network environment. This means that the engineer is changing the VLAN that is used for untagged traffic on the trunk ports to a different VLAN than the default VLAN 1. This will prevent double tagging attacks, as the attacker's access port will not be in the same VLAN as the native VLAN, and the switch will not accept the frames with two tags. The engineer should also disable DTP on the trunk ports and use the switchport nonegotiate command to prevent switch spoofing attacks2.
ReferencesVLAN Hopping - NetworkLessons.comVLAN Hopping on Native VLAN - Cisco Community