CVE-2003-0731 in CiscoWorks Common Management Foundation
Summary
by MITRE
CiscoWorks Common Management Foundation (CMF) 2.1 and earlier allows the guest user to gain administrative privileges via a certain POST request to com.cisco.nm.cmf.servlet.CsAuthServlet, possibly involving the "cmd" parameter with a modifyUser value and a modified "priviledges" parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2003-0731 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within CiscoWorks Common Management Foundation version 2.1 and earlier installations. This security weakness resides in the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the web-based management interface, specifically within the CsAuthServlet component that handles user authentication requests. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and improper access control implementation, allowing unauthorized users to manipulate HTTP POST requests to escalate their privileges from guest level to administrative status. The flaw is particularly concerning as it enables attackers to exploit the system's trust model by crafting malicious requests that bypass normal authentication checks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of specific parameters within HTTP POST requests sent to the com.cisco.nm.cmf.servlet.CsAuthServlet endpoint. Attackers can exploit this by submitting a POST request containing a "cmd" parameter set to "modifyUser" value, combined with a modified "priviledges" parameter that grants administrative rights. This represents a classic example of insecure direct object reference vulnerability where the application fails to properly validate user permissions before executing privilege modification operations. The vulnerability falls under CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software applications, and demonstrates how weak input sanitization can lead to complete system compromise. The flaw is particularly dangerous because it operates at the authentication layer, meaning successful exploitation provides attackers with full administrative control over the affected system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of CiscoWorks CMF deployments. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they gain complete administrative access to the management foundation, enabling them to modify user accounts, access sensitive network configuration data, and potentially compromise the entire network infrastructure managed by CiscoWorks. This vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, making it particularly attractive to attackers who seek to establish persistent access to enterprise networks. The implications align with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and T1548 which covers abuse of privileges, demonstrating how this vulnerability can be leveraged to maintain long-term access and escalate privileges within the network environment.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including applying the latest security patches from Cisco, implementing network segmentation to isolate management interfaces, and configuring proper access controls and monitoring for unusual authentication patterns. The remediation process should involve upgrading to CiscoWorks CMF version 2.2 or later, which addresses this specific privilege escalation issue through improved input validation and enhanced authorization checks. Security teams should also implement network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious POST requests containing the specific parameter combinations that trigger this vulnerability, as well as establish regular security audits to verify that proper access controls remain in place. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing principle of least privilege policies for management interfaces and ensure that administrative accounts are protected with strong authentication mechanisms.