CVE-2002-1099 in VPN 3000 Concentrator
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco VPN 3000 Concentrator 2.2.x, and 3.x before 3.5.3, allows remote attackers to obtain potentially sensitive information without authentication by directly accessing certain HTML pages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1099 affects Cisco VPN 3000 Concentrator devices running software versions 2.2.x and 3.x prior to 3.5.3. This represents a critical security flaw that exposes sensitive system information to unauthenticated remote attackers through direct access to specific HTML interfaces. The vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls within the web-based management interface of these network security appliances, creating an avenue for information disclosure attacks that could significantly compromise network security postures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the absence of proper authentication checks on certain HTML pages within the Cisco VPN concentrator web interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by directly navigating to specific URLs that contain system configuration details, user information, or other sensitive data normally protected by authentication mechanisms. This flaw operates at the application layer and demonstrates a classic lack of input validation and access control implementation that violates fundamental security principles. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and specifically relates to the failure to enforce proper authentication mechanisms for sensitive web resources.
The operational impact of CVE-2002-1099 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the exposed data could provide attackers with valuable intelligence for subsequent attack phases. The sensitive information potentially accessible through this vulnerability may include system configuration parameters, user credentials, network topology details, and other operational data that could facilitate further exploitation attempts. This vulnerability creates opportunities for attackers to map network infrastructure, identify potential attack vectors, and plan more sophisticated intrusion campaigns. The exposure of such information without authentication directly violates the principle of least privilege and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1083, which involves discovering file and directory permissions.
Organizations utilizing affected Cisco VPN 3000 Concentrator versions should immediately implement mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to Cisco VPN 3000 Concentrator software version 3.5.3 or later, which contains the necessary patches to resolve the authentication bypass issue. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as firewall rules to restrict access to the web management interface, ensuring that only authorized administrative workstations can reach these sensitive pages. Furthermore, organizations should conduct comprehensive network scans to identify all instances of the vulnerable software and establish monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing proper network segmentation to limit the attack surface of critical infrastructure components.