CVE-2002-1094 in VPN 3000 Concentrator
Summary
by MITRE
Information leaks in Cisco VPN 3000 Concentrator 2.x.x and 3.x.x before 3.5.4 allow remote attackers to obtain potentially sensitive information via the (1) SSH banner, (2) FTP banner, or (3) an incorrect HTTP request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/16/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1094 represents a significant information disclosure flaw affecting Cisco VPN 3000 Concentrator devices running software versions 2.x.x and 3.x.x prior to 3.5.4. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of information exposure weaknesses that can provide attackers with valuable intelligence about the target system. The affected devices are network security appliances designed to provide secure remote access and site-to-site VPN connections, making them attractive targets for threat actors seeking to understand the underlying infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through three distinct attack vectors that all result in sensitive information disclosure. The first vector involves the SSH banner, where the device reveals version information and system details during the Secure Shell protocol handshake process. The second vector targets the FTP banner, where similar version and system identification information is exposed during file transfer protocol connections. The third vector exploits incorrect HTTP request handling, where malformed requests can trigger information disclosure through the web-based management interface. These banners and responses contain detailed software version numbers, operating system information, and potentially other system identifiers that can be used to build comprehensive attack profiles.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability significantly weakens the security posture of affected Cisco VPN concentrators by providing attackers with crucial reconnaissance data. The leaked information can be leveraged to identify specific software versions that may have known exploits, understand the device configuration, and determine potential attack surfaces for subsequent phases of an attack. The information disclosure occurs without requiring authentication or special privileges, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited remotely by any attacker with network access to the device. This vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least information disclosure and violates security best practices for system hardening.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1082 (System Information Discovery) and T1592 (Gather Victim Host Information). Organizations utilizing these vulnerable devices face increased risk of targeted attacks, as the disclosed information enables attackers to craft more effective exploitation strategies. The impact extends beyond immediate information leakage, as this data can be combined with other reconnaissance efforts to identify additional vulnerabilities, understand network topology, and plan more sophisticated attacks against the organization's infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-1094 primarily involve upgrading the Cisco VPN 3000 Concentrator firmware to version 3.5.4 or later, which addresses the information disclosure issues in all three identified vectors. Network administrators should also implement firewall rules to restrict access to the affected services, disable unnecessary protocols when possible, and conduct regular security assessments to identify other potential information disclosure vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous requests to these services can help identify exploitation attempts and provide early warning of potential attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping network security appliances updated and maintaining proper security configurations to prevent information leakage that could compromise overall network security.