Remote recovery and re-establishment of identity for network devices with expired authentication via poisoned network services

A network device, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• one or more processor devices coupled to the memory to:
• send a network request to a computing system, wherein the network request comprises firmware information indicative of a version of firmware currently installed on the network device, and wherein the version of the firmware currently installed on the network device is incapable of generating valid authentication information subsequent to an expiration date that occurred prior to a current date;
• receive, from the computing system, configuration information for the network device comprising instructions to utilize a poisoned Network Time Protocol (NTP) server, wherein the poisoned NTP server is configured with a false current date that precedes the expiration date, wherein the configuration information further comprises instructions to utilize a poisoned Domain Name Services (DNS) server configured to redirect a request from the network device to a poisoned management service, and wherein the poisoned management service is configured to update the firmware of the network device;
• responsive to the instructions to utilize the poisoned NTP server, receive, from the poisoned NTP server, instructions to replace current time information with false current time information indicative of a false current time that occurs on the false current date;
• and
• generate valid authentication information for the network device, wherein the valid authentication information is valid for the network device on the false current date.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that includes executable instructions to cause one or more processor devices to:

• receive a network request from a network device, wherein the network request comprises firmware information indicative of a version of firmware currently installed on the network device;
• based on the firmware information, make a determination that the version of the firmware currently installed on the network device is incapable of generating valid authentication information subsequent to an expiration date that occurred prior to a current date;
• and
• responsive to the determination, generate configuration information for the network device comprising instructions to utilize a poisoned network entity, wherein the poisoned network entity comprises a poisoned Network Time Protocol (NTP) server, and wherein the poisoned NTP server is configured to report a false current time that occurs on a false current date that precedes the expiration date.

A computing system, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• one or more processor devices coupled to the memory to:
• receive a network request from a network device, wherein the network request comprises firmware information indicative of a version of firmware currently installed on the network device;
• based on the firmware information, make a determination that the version of the firmware currently installed on the network device is incapable of generating valid authentication information subsequent to an expiration date that occurred prior to a current date;
• and
• responsive to the determination, generate configuration information for the network device comprising instructions to utilize a poisoned network entity, wherein the poisoned network entity comprises a poisoned Domain Name Services (DNS) server, wherein the poisoned DNS server is configured to redirect the network device to a poisoned management service implemented by the computing system, wherein the poisoned management service and the poisoned DNS server are configured with a false current date that precedes the expiration date, and wherein the poisoned management service is further configured to update the firmware currently installed on the network device.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that includes executable instructions to cause one or more processor devices of a computing system to:

• receive a network request from a network device, wherein the network request comprises firmware information indicative of a version of firmware currently installed on the network device;
• based on the firmware information, make a determination that the version of the firmware currently installed on the network device is incapable of generating valid authentication information subsequent to an expiration date that occurred prior to a current date;
• and
• responsive to the determination, generate configuration information for the network device comprising instructions to utilize a poisoned network entity, wherein the poisoned network entity comprises a poisoned Domain Name Services (DNS) server, wherein the poisoned DNS server is configured to redirect the network device to a poisoned management service implemented by the computing system, wherein the poisoned management service and the poisoned DNS server are configured with a false current date that precedes the expiration date, and wherein the poisoned management service is further configured to update the firmware currently installed on the network device.

A method, comprising:

• sending, by a network device comprising one or more processor devices, a network request to a computing system, wherein the network request comprises firmware information indicative of a version of firmware currently installed on the network device, and wherein the version of the firmware currently installed on the network device is incapable of generating valid authentication information subsequent to an expiration date that occurred prior to a current date;
• receiving, from the computing system, configuration information for the network device comprising instructions to utilize a poisoned Network Time Protocol (NTP) server, wherein the poisoned NTP server is configured with a false current date that precedes the expiration date, wherein the configuration information further comprises instructions to utilize a poisoned Domain Name Services (DNS) server configured to redirect a request from the network device to a poisoned management service, and wherein the poisoned management service is configured to update the firmware of the network device;
• responsive to the instructions to utilize the poisoned NTP server, receiving, from the poisoned NTP server, instructions to replace current time information with false current time information indicative of a false current time that occurs on the false current date;
• and
• generating valid authentication information for the network device, wherein the valid authentication information is valid for the network device on the false current date.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that includes executable instructions to cause one or more processor devices of a network device to:

• send a network request to a computing system, wherein the network request comprises firmware information indicative of a version of firmware currently installed on the network device, and wherein the version of the firmware currently installed on the network device is incapable of generating valid authentication information subsequent to an expiration date that occurred prior to a current date;
• receive, from the computing system, configuration information for the network device comprising instructions to utilize a poisoned Network Time Protocol (NTP) server, wherein the poisoned NTP server is configured with a false current date that precedes the expiration date, wherein the configuration information further comprises instructions to utilize a poisoned Domain Name Services (DNS) server configured to redirect a request from the network device to a poisoned management service, and wherein the poisoned management service is configured to update the firmware of the network device;
• responsive to the instructions to utilize the poisoned NTP server, receive, from the poisoned NTP server, instructions to replace current time information with false current time information indicative of a false current time that occurs on the false current date;
• and
• generate valid authentication information for the network device, wherein the valid authentication information is valid for the network device on the false current date.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, by a computing system comprising one or more processor devices, a network request from a network device, wherein the network request comprises firmware information indicative of a version of firmware currently installed on the network device;
• based on the firmware information, making a determination that the version of the firmware currently installed on the network device is incapable of generating valid authentication information subsequent to an expiration date that occurred prior to a current date;
• and
• responsive to the determination, generating configuration information for the network device comprising instructions to utilize a poisoned network entity, wherein the poisoned network entity comprises a poisoned Network Time Protocol (NTP) server, and wherein the poisoned NTP server is configured to report a false current time that occurs on a false current date that precedes the expiration date.

A computing system, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• one or more processor devices coupled to the memory to:
• receive a network request from a network device, wherein the network request comprises firmware information indicative of a version of firmware currently installed on the network device;
• based on the firmware information, make a determination that the version of the firmware currently installed on the network device is incapable of generating valid authentication information subsequent to an expiration date that occurred prior to a current date;
• and
• responsive to the determination, generate configuration information for the network device comprising instructions to utilize a poisoned network entity, wherein the poisoned network entity comprises a poisoned Network Time Protocol (NTP) server, and wherein the poisoned NTP server is configured to report a false current time that occurs on a false current date that precedes the expiration date.