CVE-2014-0648 in Secure Access Control System
Summary
by MITRE
The RMI interface in Cisco Secure Access Control System (ACS) 5.x before 5.5 does not properly enforce authentication and authorization requirements, which allows remote attackers to obtain administrative access via a request to this interface, aka Bug ID CSCud75187.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/31/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0648 affects Cisco Secure Access Control System version 5.x prior to 5.5, specifically targeting the Remote Method Invocation (RMI) interface. This represents a critical security flaw that undermines the fundamental authentication and authorization mechanisms designed to protect administrative access to the system. The RMI interface serves as a communication channel for remote administration tasks, making it a prime target for attackers seeking unauthorized access to privileged system functions.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient validation of authentication credentials and authorization checks within the RMI interface implementation. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specific requests to the vulnerable interface without proper authentication, effectively bypassing the system's access control mechanisms. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the inherent trust model of the RMI protocol, which typically assumes secure communication channels. The flaw allows for privilege escalation from regular user access to administrative privileges, providing attackers with complete control over the affected Cisco ACS system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations relying on Cisco ACS for network access control and authentication services. Successful exploitation enables attackers to gain administrative access to the system, potentially leading to complete network compromise. This vulnerability affects the core security infrastructure of enterprises that depend on Cisco ACS for managing user access to network resources. The implications extend beyond immediate system compromise to include potential data breaches, unauthorized network access, and disruption of critical network services. Organizations may face regulatory compliance violations and significant financial losses due to unauthorized access to sensitive network resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-0648 primarily involve applying the official Cisco security patches and updates released to address this vulnerability. Organizations should immediately upgrade to Cisco ACS version 5.5 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to properly enforce authentication and authorization requirements. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to the RMI interface from trusted networks only, reducing the attack surface. Additional protective measures include disabling unused RMI interfaces, implementing strong network monitoring to detect suspicious access patterns, and conducting regular security assessments to identify potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and corresponds to attack techniques in the MITRE ATT&CK framework related to privilege escalation and remote code execution through service exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing network intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and maintain comprehensive incident response procedures to address potential compromises.