CVE-2012-4090 in NX-OS
Summary
by MITRE
The management interface in Cisco NX-OS on Nexus 7000 devices allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive configuration-file information by leveraging the network-operator role, aka Bug ID CSCti09089.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-4090 represents a significant security flaw in Cisco NX-OS software running on Nexus 7000 series switches. This issue affects the management interface implementation where properly authenticated users with the network-operator role can exploit a privilege escalation mechanism to access sensitive configuration file information. The vulnerability specifically impacts enterprise network infrastructure devices that are critical for data center and service provider environments, making it particularly concerning from a cybersecurity perspective.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate access controls within the management interface of the NX-OS operating system. When users with the network-operator role attempt to access certain configuration files through the management interface, the system fails to properly enforce authorization boundaries. This allows these authenticated users to bypass normal access restrictions and retrieve configuration data that should only be accessible to users with higher privileges such as network-admin. The vulnerability essentially creates a pathway for privilege escalation where lower-privileged users can gain access to sensitive operational data that could include network topology information, routing configurations, authentication credentials, and other confidential network parameters.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a potential attack vector for malicious actors who may have already gained access to a network-operator level account. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to gather intelligence about the network infrastructure, identify potential targets for further attacks, or extract sensitive credentials that could be used for lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability affects devices in the Nexus 7000 series which are commonly deployed in enterprise data centers and service provider networks, where they serve as core switching infrastructure. This makes the potential impact significant as these devices often control critical network traffic flows and may contain sensitive business or customer data.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege in network security. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this issue maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, as it allows an attacker to obtain information that would normally be restricted to higher-privileged users. The vulnerability also relates to defensive techniques such as access control enforcement and privilege management, where proper implementation of role-based access controls would have prevented this unauthorized access to configuration data. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Cisco security patches, reviewing user role assignments, and implementing additional monitoring for unauthorized access attempts to sensitive configuration files.
The remediation approach involves applying the appropriate Cisco security patches and updates released to address this specific vulnerability. Network administrators should also conduct comprehensive reviews of user roles and permissions to ensure that the network-operator role has appropriate access controls and that users with this role are not granted unnecessary privileges. Additionally, implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous access patterns to configuration files will help identify potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining strict access controls in network infrastructure devices and highlights the need for regular security assessments of management interfaces to prevent similar privilege escalation issues from occurring in the future.