Cisco kit being taken down by faulty resistors
Some Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASAs) could fail after 18 months due to faulty resistors which cost just a few cents apiece.
As reported by The Register, the company has released a field notice in which it says that models ASA5508 and ASA5516 “might fail in operation, after 18 months or longer, due to a damaged component.”
Essentially the devices suffer from a manufacturing process issue which has led to some of them having a damaged resistor component. In its advisory, Cisco provides more details on the issue, saying:
“Security appliances with a damaged resistor will function normally on installation and product failures are expected to increase over time beginning after the unit has been in operation for approximately 18 months. Once the security appliance has failed the unit will no longer function, will not boot, and is not recoverable.”
Faulty resistors
Cisco’s 5508 and 5516 firewalls’ power lights will turn on and shine green if they do not have a faulty resistor. If they do though, the status LED will shine amber and blink.
To help fix the issue with its devices, Cisco plans to send customers new devices. However, network administrators in Asia, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Russia, Turkey and the UAE have been warned by the company that they may have to wait up to three months for a new device to arrive due to “importation regulations”.
If you or your business owns any of Cisco’s ASAs, you can check the company’s field notice, which has a link to the company’s serial-number-checker, to see if your devices are affected. If you do have a faulty device, you’ll find a form to apply for a replacement device there as well.
Via The Register