CVE-2013-5538 in Identity Services Engine Software
Summary
by MITRE
The Sponsor Portal in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) uses weak permissions for uploaded files, which allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a direct request, aka Bug ID CSCui67506.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/01/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-5538 resides within the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) platform's Sponsor Portal component, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of file access controls. This weakness specifically manifests in the manner in which the system handles file permissions for uploaded content, creating an exploitable condition that enables unauthorized access to sensitive data. The issue stems from insufficient validation and access control mechanisms that fail to properly restrict file retrieval operations, allowing malicious actors to bypass normal authentication and authorization protocols.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the Sponsor Portal's failure to enforce proper file permission controls on uploaded resources. When users upload files through the portal, the system does not adequately restrict access to these files based on user roles or authentication status. This weakness creates a direct pathway for remote attackers to construct malicious requests that can access arbitrary files stored within the system's file structure. The vulnerability operates through a simple but effective mechanism where attackers can manipulate file paths or access tokens to retrieve files they should not have permission to access, effectively circumventing the intended security boundaries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it represents a fundamental breakdown in the security model of the Cisco ISE platform. Attackers can potentially access sensitive configuration files, user credentials, authentication logs, and other confidential information that should remain protected within the system. This compromise can lead to unauthorized access to network resources, credential theft, and potential lateral movement within the network infrastructure. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on ISE for network access control and identity management.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper file permissions, and represents a classic example of inadequate access control implementation. The flaw also maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting, as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to obtain sensitive information that could be used for further exploitation. Organizations utilizing Cisco ISE are particularly at risk since this vulnerability affects core network security infrastructure that controls access to enterprise resources. The impact is compounded by the fact that ISE deployments often serve as central points for network authentication and authorization, making successful exploitation potentially devastating to overall network security posture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate attention and implementation of multiple defensive measures. Cisco has released patches and updates specifically addressing this issue, which should be deployed as a priority across all affected systems. Network administrators should implement additional access controls and file permission restrictions beyond the default configurations, ensuring that uploaded files are properly isolated and protected from unauthorized access. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar permission-related vulnerabilities within the broader network infrastructure. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring solutions to detect and prevent unauthorized file access attempts, while maintaining detailed logging of file access operations for forensic analysis purposes.