CVE-2013-1196 in Prime Network Control System
Summary
by MITRE
The command-line interface in Cisco Secure Access Control System (ACS), Identity Services Engine Software, Context Directory Agent, Application Networking Manager (ANM), Prime Network Control System, Prime LAN Management Solution (LMS), Prime Collaboration, Unified Provisioning Manager, Network Services Manager, Prime Data Center Network Manager (DCNM), and Quad does not properly validate input, which allows local users to obtain root privileges via unspecified vectors, aka Bug IDs CSCug29384, CSCug13866, CSCug29400, CSCug29406, CSCug29411, CSCug29413, CSCug29416, CSCug29418, CSCug29422, CSCug29425, and CSCug29426, a different issue than CVE-2013-1125.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-1196 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw affecting multiple Cisco network security products including the Secure Access Control System ACS, Identity Services Engine Software, and various Prime management platforms. This issue stems from inadequate input validation within the command-line interface components of these systems, creating a pathway for local attackers to escalate their privileges to the root level. The vulnerability manifests through unspecified attack vectors that exploit the insufficient sanitization of user inputs before processing commands, allowing malicious actors with local access to potentially gain complete system control.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability falls under CWE-20, which describes improper input validation as a fundamental weakness in software security design. The flaw enables local users to execute arbitrary commands with elevated privileges by manipulating the command-line interface, which should normally enforce strict access controls and input sanitization. This weakness is particularly dangerous because it operates at the system level where legitimate administrative functions are processed, making it difficult to distinguish between authorized and malicious command sequences without proper validation mechanisms. The affected products span across Cisco's enterprise network management and security infrastructure, indicating a widespread impact across multiple product lines.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to enterprise network security environments where local access might be obtained through various means such as legitimate administrative access, compromised user accounts, or through other initial compromise vectors. The ability to escalate to root privileges allows attackers to completely subvert the security model of these systems, potentially leading to full network compromise, data exfiltration, or disruption of critical network services. The impact extends beyond individual systems to affect entire network domains that rely on these management platforms for configuration and monitoring functions. The vulnerability's presence in multiple Cisco products suggests that organizations using any of these platforms may be at risk, regardless of their specific deployment.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Cisco security patches and updates released to address this vulnerability, restricting local access to these systems, and implementing strict access controls and monitoring for command-line activities. Network segmentation and principle of least privilege should be enforced to minimize the potential impact if local access is compromised. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' and demonstrates how local privilege escalation vulnerabilities can be leveraged to gain administrative control over network infrastructure. Security monitoring should focus on unusual command-line activity patterns and unauthorized privilege escalation attempts, particularly in environments where these Cisco management platforms are deployed. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify systems that may be running affected versions of the software.