CVE-2007-1072 in Unified Ip Phone 7911g
Summary
by MITRE
The command line interface (CLI) in Cisco Unified IP Phone 7906G, 7911G, 7941G, 7961G, 7970G, and 7971G, with firmware 8.0(4)SR1 and earlier allows local users to obtain privileges or cause a denial of service via unspecified vectors. NOTE: this issue can be leveraged remotely via CVE-2007-1063.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-1072 affects Cisco Unified IP Phone models including 7906G, 7911G, 7941G, 7961G, 7970G, and 7971G with firmware versions 8.0(4)SR1 and earlier. This issue resides within the command line interface component of these telephony devices, representing a critical security weakness that exposes the underlying system to unauthorized access and operational disruption. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-264, which encompasses permissions, privileges, and access control weaknesses, indicating that the affected devices fail to properly enforce access controls for their CLI functionality. The impact extends beyond local privilege escalation to include potential denial of service conditions, making these devices susceptible to both unauthorized administrative access and service interruption attacks.
The technical flaw manifests through unspecified vectors within the CLI implementation that allow attackers to either elevate privileges or induce system instability. This vulnerability operates at the system level where local users can exploit weaknesses in the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the command line interface. The attack surface becomes particularly dangerous when combined with CVE-2007-1063, which enables remote exploitation of this vulnerability, transforming what might initially appear as a local privilege escalation issue into a remotely exploitable threat. The combination of these vulnerabilities creates a pathway for attackers to gain unauthorized administrative access to the telephony infrastructure, potentially compromising the entire communication network managed by these IP phones. The underlying architecture of these devices fails to properly validate command inputs and enforce appropriate access controls, creating opportunities for privilege escalation attacks that align with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation."
The operational impact of CVE-2007-1072 is significant for organizations relying on Cisco Unified IP Phones for their communication infrastructure. Successful exploitation can lead to complete compromise of the affected devices, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary commands with administrative privileges. This compromise can result in unauthorized monitoring of communications, modification of phone configurations, or even the ability to redirect calls to malicious endpoints. The denial of service aspect of this vulnerability can disrupt critical business communications, potentially causing operational downtime that affects productivity and customer service. Organizations may experience unauthorized access to sensitive communication channels, leading to potential data breaches and compliance violations. The vulnerability's presence in multiple device models indicates a widespread risk across Cisco's IP phone portfolio, requiring coordinated remediation efforts across the entire affected infrastructure. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability represents a classic example of insufficient privilege management, where the CLI implementation fails to properly enforce the principle of least privilege, allowing unauthorized users to gain elevated system access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-1072 should include immediate firmware updates to versions that address the privilege escalation and denial of service vulnerabilities. Organizations must ensure that all affected Cisco Unified IP Phone models are updated to firmware versions that have been patched to resolve these issues, with particular attention to the specific firmware versions mentioned in the vulnerability description. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit access to these devices, particularly restricting physical and network access to authorized personnel only. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining unpatched devices within the organization's infrastructure. The implementation of network monitoring tools can help detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider disabling unnecessary CLI access and implementing strong authentication mechanisms for any remaining CLI access points. Security teams should also review and update their incident response procedures to address potential exploitation of this vulnerability, ensuring that they can quickly detect and respond to any compromise attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date firmware across all networked devices and demonstrates how seemingly isolated issues can combine to create significant security risks when leveraged in conjunction with other vulnerabilities.