CVE-2013-3380 in Secure Access Control System
Summary
by MITRE
The administrative web interface in the Access Control Server in Cisco Secure Access Control System (ACS) does not properly restrict the report view page, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information via a direct request, aka Bug ID CSCue79279.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/05/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-3380 affects the Cisco Secure Access Control System (ACS) Access Control Server administrative web interface, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the security posture of enterprise network access management systems. This issue specifically targets the report view page functionality within the administrative interface, where proper authorization controls have been inadequately implemented. The vulnerability exists in the authentication and authorization mechanisms that govern access to sensitive administrative functions, creating a pathway for malicious actors to bypass normal security restrictions and gain unauthorized access to confidential data.
The technical flaw manifests as a failure in input validation and access control enforcement within the web application layer of the Cisco ACS system. When authenticated users make direct requests to the report view page without proper authorization checks, the system fails to verify whether the requesting user has appropriate privileges to access the specific report data. This weakness falls under the category of improper access control as defined by CWE-285, where the application does not properly enforce authorization mechanisms. The vulnerability allows remote authenticated users to exploit this flaw by crafting direct HTTP requests to the report view endpoint, bypassing the normal navigation paths that would typically enforce proper access controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it represents a fundamental flaw in the security architecture of the Cisco ACS platform that serves as a critical component in enterprise network access control. Attackers who can successfully exploit this vulnerability gain access to sensitive information including user authentication data, network access logs, policy configurations, and other administrative reports that could be used for further attacks or to compromise the entire access control infrastructure. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not need physical access to the network or local system privileges, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where network segmentation is not properly implemented. This weakness directly impacts the CIA triad by compromising confidentiality and potentially integrity of the access control system.
Organizations utilizing Cisco Secure Access Control System should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches from Cisco, reviewing and strengthening access control policies, and implementing network segmentation to limit exposure of administrative interfaces. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of principle of least privilege enforcement and proper input validation as outlined in the ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques. Additional mitigations include implementing web application firewalls to monitor for suspicious direct requests, conducting regular security assessments of administrative interfaces, and establishing robust monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the necessity of comprehensive security testing including penetration testing and code reviews to identify similar authorization flaws in complex enterprise systems. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative access and regularly reviewing user permissions to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to sensitive administrative functions.