CVE-2013-3471 in Identity Services Engine Software
Summary
by MITRE
The captive portal application in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) allows remote attackers to discover cleartext usernames and passwords by leveraging unspecified use of hidden form fields in an HTML document, aka Bug ID CSCug02515.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/07/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-3471 represents a critical security flaw within Cisco Identity Services Engine's captive portal application that exposes authentication credentials through improper handling of HTML form elements. This issue specifically affects the Cisco Identity Services Engine version 1.2 and earlier versions, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on this network access control solution for user authentication and authorization. The vulnerability stems from the captive portal's implementation where sensitive authentication information is transmitted in cleartext through hidden form fields within HTML documents, making it susceptible to interception by malicious actors positioned within the network.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of HTML form fields that are intended to remain hidden from user interaction but are actually accessible to remote attackers. When users authenticate through the captive portal, their credentials are embedded within these hidden form fields within the HTML document structure. This design flaw allows attackers to extract the cleartext usernames and passwords simply by examining the HTML source code of the authentication page. The unspecified nature of the hidden field usage suggests that the captive portal application was not properly sanitizing or securing these form elements, creating an attack surface where authentication data flows through the network in an unencrypted format.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of networks utilizing Cisco ISE for access control. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to network resources, potentially escalating privileges and moving laterally within the network infrastructure. The cleartext transmission of credentials makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where network traffic is not properly encrypted or segmented, as it provides attackers with immediate access to legitimate user accounts and their associated permissions. This vulnerability directly violates security best practices outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and represents a failure in the principle of least privilege, where authentication information should never be transmitted in an easily accessible format.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Cisco ISE versions that address this specific flaw, typically version 1.3 or later. Network administrators must also consider implementing additional security controls such as network segmentation, encryption of authentication traffic, and monitoring for unusual patterns in captive portal usage. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-313 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in a File or on Disk) categories, indicating improper handling of sensitive data within the application layer. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566 (Phishing) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) techniques, as it enables attackers to obtain valid credentials through social engineering or direct network-based attacks. The remediation process should include comprehensive network auditing to identify all instances of the vulnerable captive portal implementation and systematic deployment of patches to ensure that hidden form fields are properly secured and that authentication credentials are never transmitted in cleartext format.