CIS 527



Lab 3 - SNMP

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

  • Proposed in 1988
  • Query Information from Network Devices
  • Update Configuration Remotely
  • Used in Network Monitoring
  • Port 161

SNMP Versions

  • 1.0 - Plain-text, No Security
  • 2.0 - Some Security, but Controversial
  • 2.0c "Community" - Without Controversial Security
  • 3.0 - Better Security & Authentication

Most Devices Support Multiple Versions

SNMP Data

  • Data Presented as Variables
  • Some Allow Write Access
  • Hierarchical Structure
  • Difficult to Read Directly

Management Information Base (MIB)

  • SNMP Does Not Define Variables
  • MIB Defines Available Variables
  • MIBs Vary by Device
  • Standards Exist

Protocol Data Units (PDU)

  • GetRequest
  • SetRequest
  • GetNextRequest
  • GetBulkRequest
  • Response
  • Trap
  • InformRequest

Community String

  • Rudimentary Password
  • Plaintext in SNMPv1
  • Easily Sniffed via Wireshark
  • Security was not a Concern Initially