CVE-2007-1064 in Secure Services Client
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Secure Services Client (CSSC) 4.x, Trust Agent 1.x and 2.x, Cisco Security Agent (CSA) 5.0 and 5.1 (when a vulnerable Trust Agent has been deployed), and the Meetinghouse AEGIS SecureConnect Client do not drop privileges when the help facility in the supplicant GUI is invoked, which allows local users to gain privileges, aka CSCsf14120.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/31/2018
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-1064 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw affecting multiple Cisco security products including the Cisco Secure Services Client version 4.x, Trust Agent versions 1.x and 2.x, Cisco Security Agent version 5.0 and 5.1, and the Meetinghouse AEGIS SecureConnect Client. This issue stems from improper privilege handling within the supplicant graphical user interface when invoking the help functionality, creating a pathway for local attackers to elevate their system privileges. The vulnerability specifically impacts systems where vulnerable Trust Agent components have been deployed, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments relying on these security mechanisms. The flaw exists at the application level where the help facility fails to properly drop elevated privileges after execution, allowing malicious local users to leverage this weakness for unauthorized system access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the privilege management code within the GUI components of these Cisco security applications. When users interact with the help feature in the supplicant interface, the system should automatically downgrade its privileges to match the user context, but this process fails to occur properly. This privilege escalation occurs because the help system maintains elevated privileges during execution, typically running with administrative or system-level permissions. The failure to drop privileges creates a persistent security gap where any local user can exploit this behavior to execute arbitrary code with higher privileges than intended. This flaw directly relates to CWE-250, which addresses "Execute Code with Unnecessary Privileges," and represents a classic example of improper privilege management in security-critical applications. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the security architecture where privilege boundaries are not properly enforced during application execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple local privilege escalation, potentially allowing attackers to compromise entire systems or network infrastructure. In enterprise environments where these Cisco security products are deployed, a local user with access to the GUI could exploit this vulnerability to gain administrative privileges, potentially enabling further attacks including lateral movement, data exfiltration, or system corruption. The vulnerability affects systems where these security agents are actively running, making it particularly dangerous in environments with multiple users or where security agents are deployed on workstations and servers. Attackers could leverage this weakness to bypass security controls, modify security configurations, or establish persistent access to the compromised systems. The vulnerability also impacts the trust model of these security products, as it undermines the integrity of the security agent mechanisms that are designed to protect against unauthorized access and privilege escalation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention from system administrators and security teams. The primary recommendation involves applying the relevant security patches and updates provided by Cisco to address the privilege escalation issue in the affected software versions. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as restricting local user access to the GUI components, monitoring for unauthorized privilege escalation attempts, and conducting regular security assessments of deployed security agents. System hardening measures including privilege separation, least privilege principles, and regular security audits can help reduce the attack surface. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and defense evasion, specifically leveraging the T1068 privilege escalation technique and potentially T1059 command and script interpreter for execution. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect suspicious privilege escalation activities and ensure that all security agents are running patched versions to prevent exploitation of this persistent vulnerability.