Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) or Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD) snooping must be implemented within the network access layer.

Description

<VulnDiscussion>The last-hop router sends the multicast packet out the interface towards the LAN containing interested receivers. The default behavior for a Layer 2 switch is to forward all multicast traffic out every access switch port that belongs to the VLAN. IGMP snooping is a mechanism used by "Layer 3 aware" switches to maintain a Layer 2 multicast table by examining all IGMP join and leave messages (destined to the all router's multicast address 224.0.0.2) sent between hosts and the multicast routers on the LAN. This will enable the switch to only forward multicast packets out the access switch ports that have connected hosts that have subscribed to the multicast group, thereby reducing the load on the switching backplane as well as eliminating unwanted traffic to uninterested hosts.</VulnDiscussion><FalsePositives></FalsePositives><FalseNegatives></FalseNegatives><Documentable>false</Documentable><Mitigations></Mitigations><SeverityOverrideGuidance></SeverityOverrideGuidance><PotentialImpacts></PotentialImpacts><ThirdPartyTools></ThirdPartyTools><MitigationControl></MitigationControl><Responsibility></Responsibility><IAControls></IAControls>