CVE-2006-3289 in Wireless Control System
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the login page of the HTTP interface for the Cisco Wireless Control System (WCS) for Linux and Windows before 3.2(51) allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified vectors involving a "malicious URL".
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/21/2019
The CVE-2006-3289 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Cisco Wireless Control System's HTTP interface, affecting both Linux and Windows deployments. This vulnerability specifically targets the login page component of the wireless network management system, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on Cisco's wireless infrastructure solutions. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web interface, allowing malicious actors to exploit the authentication page through carefully crafted web requests. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content, potentially compromising user sessions and system integrity.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves manipulating URL parameters or input fields within the login interface to execute malicious code in the context of authenticated users' browsers. This XSS vector operates through unspecified attack paths that likely involve improper sanitization of user-supplied data before rendering in web responses. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple script execution as it can enable session hijacking, credential theft, and potential privilege escalation within the wireless network management environment. According to CWE classification, this represents a CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly encode output to prevent script injection attacks. The vulnerability's persistence across both Linux and Windows platforms indicates a fundamental flaw in the web application layer rather than platform-specific implementation issues.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-3289 poses substantial risks to enterprise wireless network security, particularly in environments where the Cisco Wireless Control System serves as a central management point for wireless infrastructure. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to steal administrative credentials, manipulate wireless configurations, or establish persistent access points within the network. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access or network proximity to exploit the flaw, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with distributed wireless deployments. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001: Phishing for Information, as it enables attackers to craft malicious URLs that can compromise user sessions and extract sensitive authentication information. The vulnerability's presence in the login interface creates a particularly attractive target for attackers seeking to gain unauthorized access to wireless network management systems.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through official Cisco security patches and updates, specifically targeting the 3.2(51) release or higher versions that address the XSS flaw. Network segmentation and monitoring should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts, while web application firewalls can provide additional protective layers. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other potential XSS vulnerabilities within the wireless management interface and related web applications. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched systems to ensure that the XSS vulnerability has been properly addressed without introducing regressions. Additionally, administrative users should be educated about the dangers of clicking suspicious URLs and the importance of maintaining current security patches across all network management systems. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication mechanisms to provide additional protection layers against credential compromise attacks that exploit such XSS vulnerabilities.