I had a quick flick through Cisco's Bugtool[1], and found this:

(CSCdx10113)
"If the syslog service is disabled on the server, such that the syslogs
coming 
from the PIX generate an ICMP Port Unreachable message, and the PIX 
configuration includes the command "ip audit interface", the PIX will
attempt
to log the error messages coming back from the syslog server.  This
results in
an ever increasing storm of sorts, and results in resource starvation on
the PIX.

Workarounds include: disabling "ip audit interface" or disabling the
logging of 
the reciept of ICMP port unreach messages.  "

On the surface, looks like a possibility, although you should probably
do some more investigation.

I'd whack a sniffer on the network where the syslog server is and see
what sort of traffic is occurring.

Cheers,

[1]http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/Support/Bugtool/launch_bugtool.pl
--
Ben Nagy
Network Security Specialist
( ... Unemployed in Geneva ... )
Mb: TBA  PGP Key ID: 0x1A86E304 


> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of 
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2002 8:05 PM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: PIX high-cpu when logging stops
> 
> 
> Hi,
> Here's one to conjour with !
> 
> We have a PIX 525.........we log directlly to a KIWI syslog 
> collector using UDP port 514 (honest, definitely not TCP !!) 
> Today we experienced 98% CPU on the PIX, and found (by trial 
> and error while searching for info in the logs) that the KIWI 
> syslog daemon was down. Immediately we stared it up the CPU 
> dropped to almost nothing !
> 
> Not believing this, we stopped & started the syslog collector 
> a few times, and sure enough it was the cause of the high CPU ??
> 
> 
> My first question is (obviously) has anyone else heard or 
> seen this before ?
> 
> My second question is, how the heck does the PIX know that 
> the syslog daemon is gone when its using UDP !!!!!
> 
> Is this a case for Mulder & Scully ??
> Cheers, Gordon
> 
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