CVE-2008-3778 in Communication Manager
Summary
by MITRE
The remote management interface in SIP Enablement Services (SES) Server in Avaya SIP Enablement Services 5.0, and Communication Manager (CM) 5.0 on the S8300C with SES enabled, proceeds with Core router updates even when a login is invalid, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (messaging outage) or gain privileges via an update request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/02/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-3778 represents a critical security flaw within Avaya's SIP Enablement Services infrastructure, specifically affecting versions 5.0 of both SES Server and Communication Manager running on S8300C platforms. This issue stems from a fundamental design weakness in the remote management interface's authentication handling mechanism, where the system fails to properly validate user credentials before proceeding with critical system operations. The flaw exists in the Core router update process, which operates under the assumption that valid authentication has been established when in fact it may not have been properly verified.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to exploit a privilege escalation path through malformed update requests that bypass normal authentication checks. When an invalid login attempt occurs, the system continues processing the update request rather than terminating the operation or properly rejecting the attempt. This behavior creates a scenario where unauthorized users can manipulate the system's update mechanism to either disrupt messaging services through denial of service conditions or potentially elevate their privileges to gain administrative access. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication and authorization flow within the remote management interface, which is a critical component of system administration and security control.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to enterprise communication systems, particularly in mission-critical environments where voice and messaging services are essential. The potential for denial of service attacks can result in complete messaging outages that affect business operations, while the privilege escalation component could enable attackers to gain full administrative control over the affected systems. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires only remote access to the management interface, making it accessible to attackers from external networks without requiring physical access or advanced exploitation techniques. This vulnerability undermines the fundamental security model of the system by allowing unauthorized modification of core router configurations through the management interface.
The security implications of CVE-2008-3778 align with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems. This weakness directly enables unauthorized access and privilege escalation through flawed authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and T1499 which covers network denial of service attacks. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to restrict access to management interfaces, implementation of strong authentication mechanisms with multi-factor authentication, and regular monitoring of management interface access logs for suspicious activities. Additionally, system administrators should ensure that all available security patches are applied and that access controls are properly configured to limit administrative privileges to only necessary personnel. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and authentication flow control in enterprise communication systems and serves as a reminder of the critical need for secure coding practices in security-sensitive applications.