CVE-2011-3293 in Secure Access Control Server
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in the Solution Engine in Cisco Secure Access Control Server (ACS) 5.2 allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that insert cross-site scripting (XSS) sequences, aka Bug ID CSCtr78143.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2015
The vulnerability CVE-2011-3293 represents a critical cross-site request forgery weakness in Cisco Secure Access Control Server version 5.2 Solution Engine component. This flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate administrative sessions by injecting malicious cross-site scripting sequences through forged requests. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication handling mechanisms within the ACS platform, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on Cisco's access control solutions. The issue stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation in the administrative interfaces. According to CWE-352, this vulnerability maps directly to Cross-Site Request Forgery, while the ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1566.001 - Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment and T1078.004 - Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts, as attackers can leverage compromised administrative sessions for further exploitation. The vulnerability allows attackers to perform administrative actions without legitimate authentication, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs within the Solution Engine's processing of administrative requests, where the system fails to properly validate that requests originate from authenticated administrative sessions. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or exploit existing XSS vulnerabilities to inject scripts that automatically submit requests to the ACS administration interface. These requests, when executed by an authenticated administrator, can insert malicious XSS payloads into the system, effectively allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code within the administrative context. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic CSRF attack pattern where the target system lacks proper origin validation or anti-CSRF tokens that would prevent unauthorized requests from being processed. The attack vector operates through web-based interfaces, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no local system access or credentials beyond the ability to interact with the web interface.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-3293 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass complete system compromise and data integrity violations. Administrators who visit malicious websites or click on compromised links may unknowingly execute administrative commands that insert persistent XSS payloads into the ACS system. This scenario allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive network access control policies, user credentials, and system configurations. The vulnerability can lead to unauthorized network access, privilege escalation, and potential data exfiltration from the secure access control environment. Organizations using Cisco ACS 5.2 are particularly vulnerable since the flaw exists in the core authentication handling mechanisms, making it difficult to isolate or contain the attack impact. The implications include disruption of network security policies, potential unauthorized access to protected network resources, and compromise of the entire access control infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-3293 should focus on immediate patching of Cisco Secure Access Control Server to version 5.3 or later, which contains the necessary CSRF protection mechanisms. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces, deploy web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests, and enforce strict access controls for administrative accounts. Security teams should also consider implementing additional authentication measures such as multi-factor authentication for administrative access and regular monitoring of administrative session activity. The implementation of proper anti-CSRF tokens and origin validation mechanisms should be enforced across all administrative web interfaces. According to NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 standards, organizations must maintain up-to-date vulnerability management processes and implement continuous monitoring of their security infrastructure. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network security components, while incident response procedures should be updated to address potential CSRF-related breaches in access control systems.