CVE-2014-0654 in Context Directory Agent
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Context Directory Agent (CDA) allows remote attackers to modify the cache via a replay attack involving crafted RADIUS accounting messages, aka Bug ID CSCuj45383.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2022
The Cisco Context Directory Agent represents a critical security vulnerability classified as CVE-2014-0654, which exposes the system to unauthorized cache modification through sophisticated replay attacks. This vulnerability specifically targets the RADIUS accounting message processing mechanisms within the CDA framework, creating a pathway for remote attackers to manipulate cached data without direct system access. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of RADIUS accounting messages, allowing malicious actors to exploit the system's trust in legitimate communication sequences. The vulnerability operates through a carefully crafted replay attack vector that leverages the temporal aspects of RADIUS protocol interactions, enabling attackers to inject modified accounting data into the cache system. This represents a significant compromise in the integrity of the directory services infrastructure, as the cache serves as a critical component for maintaining accurate user session information and access control data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of a weakness in the RADIUS accounting message authentication and validation process within the Cisco Context Directory Agent. Attackers can construct specially formatted RADIUS accounting packets that appear legitimate to the system's validation mechanisms, allowing these packets to be processed and cached without proper verification of their authenticity or sequence. The vulnerability specifically affects the cache update mechanisms that occur when RADIUS accounting messages are received, enabling attackers to manipulate cached session information through repeated or modified message sequences. This flaw operates at the protocol level, exploiting the trust model inherent in RADIUS implementations where legitimate messages are accepted without sufficient scrutiny of their modification history or replay status. The underlying issue lies in the absence of proper replay detection mechanisms within the CDA's message processing pipeline, creating a window of opportunity for attackers to compromise cache integrity through carefully orchestrated message replay attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-0654 extends beyond simple cache corruption, potentially enabling attackers to manipulate user session information, disrupt access control mechanisms, and compromise directory service integrity across affected Cisco environments. This vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access to network resources, session hijacking, and the potential for privilege escalation within the directory service infrastructure. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this weakness from outside the network perimeter without requiring physical access or prior authentication. Organizations relying on Cisco CDA for directory services and authentication management face significant risk of unauthorized system compromise, as the cache manipulation can affect the validity of user sessions and access decisions. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe in environments where directory services are critical for network access control, authentication, and authorization functions, as compromised cache data can propagate throughout the system and affect multiple services simultaneously. This represents a fundamental breach in the trust model of directory services, undermining the security posture of organizations that depend on Cisco's Context Directory Agent for critical infrastructure components.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including firmware updates from Cisco to address the vulnerability, network segmentation to limit exposure of affected systems, and enhanced monitoring of RADIUS accounting message patterns for signs of replay attacks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses and improper message authentication, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1566 related to credential harvesting through network attacks. Security teams must deploy intrusion detection systems capable of identifying anomalous RADIUS message sequences and implement proper replay detection mechanisms within their network infrastructure. Additionally, organizations should review their RADIUS configuration settings, enforce strict message validation procedures, and consider implementing additional authentication layers to compensate for the vulnerability. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure complete remediation of the affected systems, while incident response procedures should be updated to address potential exploitation attempts targeting this specific weakness in the Cisco Context Directory Agent implementation.