CVE-2006-3226 in Secure Access Control Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Secure Access Control Server (ACS) 4.x for Windows uses the client s IP address and the server s port number to grant access to an HTTP server port for an administration session, which allows remote attackers to bypass authentication via various methods, aka "ACS Weak Session Management Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/21/2025
The Cisco Secure Access Control Server ACS 4.x for Windows implementation contains a critical session management flaw that fundamentally undermines its authentication security model. This vulnerability stems from the server's reliance on client IP address and server port number combinations to establish administrative session access rather than implementing robust authentication mechanisms. The weakness creates a predictable session identifier that can be easily replicated or guessed by unauthorized parties, effectively bypassing the intended security controls that should prevent unauthorized administrative access to the system.
This vulnerability operates at the core of session management protocols and represents a classic example of weak cryptographic practices in authentication systems. The flaw allows remote attackers to exploit the predictable session establishment process by leveraging the client IP address and server port number information that is readily available through network reconnaissance or packet analysis. The vulnerability specifically affects the HTTP server port access control mechanism where the system fails to properly validate the authenticity of session requests, instead relying on a combination of network layer information that can be easily manipulated or intercepted.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations relying on Cisco ACS 4.x for Windows environments. Attackers can gain unauthorized administrative access to critical network infrastructure controls without proper credentials, potentially leading to complete network compromise, unauthorized access to protected resources, and the ability to modify or disable security policies. This weakness directly violates fundamental security principles of authentication and authorization, as it allows attackers to impersonate legitimate administrative users through session hijacking techniques that exploit the predictable nature of the session identifiers.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts, as it allows attackers to leverage legitimate session establishment mechanisms to gain administrative privileges. The vulnerability also relates to CWE-306, which covers missing authentication, and CWE-307, which addresses excessive logging of authentication attempts. Organizations utilizing affected Cisco ACS versions face significant risk exposure, as the vulnerability can be exploited through various methods including network sniffing, session replay attacks, and IP address manipulation techniques that require minimal technical expertise.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patch deployment from Cisco as the primary remediation measure, alongside network segmentation to limit access to administrative ports and implementation of additional authentication layers such as two-factor authentication or certificate-based authentication. Organizations should also implement network monitoring solutions to detect unusual session establishment patterns and consider deploying intrusion detection systems specifically configured to identify exploitation attempts of this vulnerability. The incident underscores the critical importance of robust session management implementation and proper authentication mechanisms in network security infrastructure, particularly for systems handling administrative access controls.