topic High CPU usage on PIX 6.2.2 in Network Security

High CPU usage on PIX 6.2.2

aun.raza — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 07:07:43 GMT

Our PIX has extremely high CPU usage, mostly 99%, with lots of interface overruns. Is there a way to track what is causing such high CPU usage. We have a VPN tunnel running between the sites as well. For that very reason, it keeps locking up every now and then.

Any ideas why this would be happening?

Re: High CPU usage on PIX 6.2.2

mpalardy — Tue, 02 Dec 2003 21:30:31 GMT

Please see this link:

http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/110/pixperformance.html#showinterface

What's your interface MTU?

Any other suspect error on pix interfaces?

Re: High CPU usage on PIX 6.2.2

williamhunt — Thu, 04 Dec 2003 02:44:20 GMT

Virus(es) on an inside or dmz host can peg the cpu of the pix. You can try putting an acl on the inside (and/or dmz) interface, and deny some of the commonly attacked ports.

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/advisory.html

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sn-20030820-nachi.shtml#pix

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sn-20030814-blaster.shtml#pix

If valid traffic is not passing through the pix, you can unplug the inside interface cable; see if that drops the cpu. Patch all inside hosts, and use up-to-date anti-virus.

Note that 6.2.3 is General Deployment code now.