CVE-2013-3437 in Unified Operations Manager
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in the management application in Cisco Unified Operations Manager allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary SQL commands via an entry field, aka Bug ID CSCud80179.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-3437 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within Cisco Unified Operations Manager's management application. This security weakness affects Cisco's unified communications infrastructure and specifically targets the administrative interface where users can manage various operational parameters. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into backend database queries. Attackers exploiting this flaw can manipulate database operations through carefully crafted inputs that bypass normal authentication checks and authorization controls.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-89, which specifically addresses SQL injection weaknesses in software applications. The flaw exists in the management application's handling of entry fields where user input is directly concatenated into SQL command strings without proper parameterization or input sanitization. This allows authenticated users with access to the management interface to craft malicious input that gets executed as part of the SQL statement, potentially enabling full database access and manipulation capabilities. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates within the administrative context, meaning that an attacker who has already gained legitimate access to the system can escalate privileges and execute arbitrary database commands.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to organizations utilizing Cisco Unified Operations Manager as it enables attackers to perform unauthorized database operations that could compromise sensitive operational data. The impact extends beyond simple data theft to include potential system compromise through database manipulation, data corruption, and unauthorized access to communication records. Attackers could exploit this weakness to modify user accounts, extract confidential information, or even gain deeper system access through database-level privileges. The authenticated nature of the attack means that the threat actor must already possess valid credentials, but this still represents a privilege escalation vulnerability that significantly weakens overall system security posture.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1078 for valid accounts and T1046 for network service scanning, as attackers would need to identify and authenticate to the management interface before exploiting the SQL injection. The remediation strategy should focus on implementing proper input validation, parameterized queries, and input sanitization mechanisms within the management application. Organizations should also enforce least privilege access controls, implement network segmentation, and regularly update their Cisco Unified Operations Manager installations to mitigate this vulnerability. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual database query patterns and unauthorized administrative access attempts to identify potential exploitation attempts.