CVE-2012-4093 in Unified Computing System
Summary
by MITRE
The Manager component in Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) allows local users to cause a denial of service via an invalid Smart Call Home contact address, aka Bug ID CSCtl00186.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4093 affects the Manager component within Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) infrastructure, representing a significant security weakness that enables local attackers to disrupt system operations. This issue specifically manifests through the Smart Call Home feature, which is designed to facilitate automated communication with Cisco support services for system monitoring and issue reporting. The vulnerability arises from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the Manager component, allowing malicious local users to exploit a flaw in how the system processes contact address information for Smart Call Home functionality.
The technical flaw stems from the absence of proper validation checks for Smart Call Home contact addresses, creating an avenue for arbitrary code execution or system instability when malformed input is processed. When a local user provides an invalid Smart Call Home contact address, the Manager component fails to properly handle this malformed data, leading to unexpected system behavior that ultimately results in a denial of service condition. This represents a classic input validation vulnerability that falls under CWE-20, which encompasses improper input validation issues in software systems. The vulnerability specifically impacts the system's ability to maintain stable operation when processing invalid data inputs, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where system reliability is paramount.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can potentially compromise the overall integrity and availability of the Cisco UCS infrastructure. Local users who exploit this weakness can effectively render critical management functions unusable, preventing legitimate administrators from accessing system controls and monitoring capabilities. This denial of service condition directly affects the availability aspect of the CIA triad, undermining the system's ability to provide continuous operation for business-critical applications. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require elevated privileges beyond local access, making it particularly concerning as it can be leveraged by any user with access to the system's local environment.
Organizations utilizing Cisco UCS systems should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including applying the relevant security patches provided by Cisco to resolve the input validation flaw in the Manager component. Network segmentation and access control measures should be enhanced to limit local user privileges and prevent unauthorized access to system management functions. The implementation of proper logging and monitoring mechanisms can help detect exploitation attempts and provide early warning of potential security incidents. Additionally, system administrators should conduct regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar input validation vulnerabilities throughout their infrastructure, as this represents a common attack vector that aligns with techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation and defense evasion categories. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation practices and proper error handling in enterprise system management components to prevent unauthorized service disruption and maintain operational continuity.