CVE-2010-4689 in ASA
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) 5500 series devices with software before 8.3(2) do not properly preserve ACL behavior after a migration, which allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions via an unspecified type of network traffic that had previously been denied, aka Bug ID CSCte46460.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-4689 affects Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA) 5500 series devices operating with software versions prior to 8.3(2). This represents a critical security flaw in the network security infrastructure that has significant implications for organizations relying on Cisco ASA appliances for their perimeter defense. The issue specifically manifests during the migration process of access control lists, where the system fails to maintain proper access control behavior, creating a persistent security gap that attackers can exploit to bypass intended access restrictions.
The technical flaw stems from the improper handling of access control list preservation during device migration operations within the ASA software architecture. When network traffic is processed through these vulnerable appliances, the system does not correctly maintain the original access control decisions that were established for specific traffic flows. This failure occurs at the packet processing level where the appliance should maintain consistent security policies across migration events. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284, which deals with improper access control mechanisms, specifically within the context of network security appliances where policy enforcement is critical. The flaw allows attackers to craft network traffic that would have previously been denied by access control lists but can now pass through the appliance due to the broken policy enforcement mechanism.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it creates a persistent backdoor for remote attackers to bypass security controls that were specifically designed to protect network perimeters. Attackers can exploit this weakness by sending traffic that had previously been denied by access control lists, potentially gaining unauthorized access to protected network segments. This vulnerability undermines the fundamental security posture of organizations that depend on ASA appliances for network segmentation and access control. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no local access or authentication, making it a remote exploit that can be carried out from anywhere on the network. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and defense evasion, as attackers can bypass network-level controls that were intended to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive resources.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through software updates to version 8.3(2) or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the ACL preservation issue. The mitigation strategy should include thorough testing of the updated software in controlled environments before deployment to ensure compatibility with existing network configurations. Network administrators should also conduct comprehensive audits of their access control policies to identify any potential exploitation attempts that may have occurred during the vulnerable period. Additionally, implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous traffic patterns consistent with this type of bypass attack can provide early warning capabilities. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining current security software versions and the necessity of proper change management procedures during device upgrades to prevent similar issues in the future.