CVE-2002-2037 in Media Gateway Controller
Summary
by MITRE
The Cisco Media Gateway Controller (MGC) in (1) SC2200 7.4 and earlier, (2) VSC3000 9.1 and earlier, (3) PGW 2200 9.1 and earlier, (4) Billing and Management Server (BAMS) and (5) Voice Services Provisioning Tool (VSPT) runs on default installations of Solaris 2.6 with unnecessary services and without the latest security patches, which allows attackers to exploit known vulnerabilities.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/16/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-2037 represents a critical security weakness in Cisco's media gateway controller implementations across multiple product lines including SC2200, VSC3000, PGW 2200, BAMS, and VSPT devices. This flaw stems from the default installation practices on Solaris 2.6 operating systems where the affected Cisco products are deployed without proper security hardening measures. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-1004 which addresses the lack of security hardening in default installations, creating an environment where attackers can leverage known exploits against unpatched systems. The affected systems operate with unnecessary services running in their default configurations, providing attackers with multiple potential attack vectors that would not normally be present in properly secured environments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the fundamental security misconfiguration that occurs when Cisco products are installed without applying the latest security patches and without proper service minimization. Solaris 2.6 systems running these Cisco applications contain default services that are not required for the operation of the media gateway controller functions but remain active and accessible to potential attackers. This misconfiguration creates an attack surface that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1543.003 for creating or modifying system level defenses through default service enabling. The lack of security updates on these systems means that known vulnerabilities in the Solaris operating system remain unpatched, providing attackers with opportunities to execute arbitrary code or gain unauthorized access to the systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential complete system compromise and disruption of voice services. Attackers who exploit this vulnerability can leverage the default installations to gain root access to the underlying Solaris systems, potentially allowing them to manipulate voice services, access billing information, or disrupt critical communication infrastructure. The vulnerability affects multiple Cisco product lines that are commonly used in enterprise voice and data network environments, making the potential impact widespread across organizations that deploy these systems. This weakness particularly impacts the ATT&CK tactic T1068 which involves exploiting local system vulnerabilities, and T1566 which focuses on phishing attacks that could be facilitated through compromised management interfaces.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of several remediation measures. Organizations must ensure that all affected Cisco products are updated with the latest security patches for both the Cisco software and the underlying Solaris operating system. The default services running on these systems should be reviewed and minimized to only include those necessary for the specific operational requirements of each installation. This approach aligns with the principle of least privilege and the security hardening guidelines specified in NIST SP 800-125, which emphasizes the importance of removing unnecessary services and applying security updates. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit access to these management systems, and regular security assessments should be conducted to ensure that proper security configurations are maintained over time.