CVE-2001-0622 in Content Services Switch 11000
Summary
by MITRE
The web management service on Cisco Content Service series 11000 switches (CSS) before WebNS 4.01B29s or WebNS 4.10B17s allows a remote attacker to gain additional privileges by directly requesting the web management URL instead of navigating through the interface.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/08/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-0622 affects Cisco Content Service series 11000 switches that utilize the WebNS software for web management services. This represents a significant security flaw in the authentication and authorization mechanisms of these network devices, specifically within the web interface components that control access to administrative functions. The issue stems from improper privilege enforcement within the web management service architecture, allowing unauthorized access to elevated administrative capabilities through direct URL manipulation rather than following the intended authentication workflow.
The technical flaw manifests in the web management service's failure to properly validate user privileges when accessing specific administrative URLs. When an attacker directly requests certain web management URLs without proper authentication or authorization, the system fails to enforce the necessary privilege checks that would normally occur during normal navigation through the interface. This weakness creates a path for privilege escalation where unauthorized users can bypass the standard authentication mechanisms and gain access to administrative functions that should be restricted to authorized personnel only.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a critical risk to network security infrastructure as it allows remote attackers to escalate their privileges without needing valid credentials or knowledge of the authentication process. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to modify network configurations, view sensitive data, disable security features, or even compromise the entire switch infrastructure. Network administrators who rely on these devices for content delivery and traffic management face significant exposure since the vulnerability can be exploited from any location with network connectivity to the affected switches.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control in software systems, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with privilege escalation attacks that fall under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation techniques. Organizations using Cisco Content Service series 11000 switches should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches, restricting network access to these management interfaces through firewall rules, and implementing network segmentation to limit exposure. Additionally, network administrators should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all affected devices and ensure that administrative access is properly restricted to authorized personnel only. The remediation process should also include monitoring for suspicious access patterns and implementing stronger authentication mechanisms to prevent similar vulnerabilities in other network infrastructure components.