CVE-2014-0674 in Video Surveillance Operations Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Video Surveillance Operations Manager (VSOM) does not require authentication for MySQL database connections, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information, modify data, or cause a denial of service by leveraging network connectivity from a client system with a crafted host name, aka Bug ID CSCud10992.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/31/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0674 affects Cisco Video Surveillance Operations Manager (VSOM) and represents a critical authentication bypass flaw that undermines the security posture of video surveillance systems. This issue stems from the improper configuration of MySQL database connections within the VSOM platform, where the system fails to enforce authentication requirements for database access. The vulnerability exists in the network layer handling of database connection requests, specifically when processing host name information from client systems. Attackers can exploit this weakness by establishing network connectivity to the affected system and crafting malicious host names that bypass the authentication mechanisms. The flaw directly violates fundamental security principles by allowing unauthenticated access to sensitive database resources that contain critical surveillance data and system configurations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the VSOM's database connection handling logic where the system accepts database connection requests without validating client credentials or authentication tokens. When a client system attempts to connect to the MySQL database through the VSOM interface, the system processes the host name parameter without proper authentication verification. This creates an attack surface where remote adversaries can leverage network connectivity to establish unauthorized database sessions. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-287 which specifically addresses improper authentication issues in software systems, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1110.003 for credential access through unauthorized network access. The flaw demonstrates a classic case of insufficient authentication controls, where the system's trust model is compromised by accepting database connections without proper verification of client identity.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass full data manipulation capabilities and potential system disruption. Remote attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can obtain sensitive information including surveillance footage metadata, user credentials, system configurations, and operational parameters that govern the video surveillance network. The ability to modify data allows threat actors to corrupt surveillance records, manipulate access controls, or alter system settings to disable security features. Furthermore, the vulnerability can be leveraged to cause denial of service conditions by corrupting database structures or overwhelming system resources through malicious database operations. This affects the integrity and availability of critical security infrastructure that organizations rely upon for perimeter protection and incident response capabilities.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate VSOM systems from untrusted networks, deployment of firewall rules to restrict database access to authorized systems only, and implementation of network monitoring to detect unusual host name patterns or unauthorized database connection attempts. Cisco has released security advisories and patches addressing this vulnerability, which should be applied immediately to remediate the authentication bypass issue. The recommended approach involves configuring the VSOM system to enforce strict authentication requirements for all database connections and implementing proper access controls that validate client credentials before establishing database sessions. Additionally, regular security audits should verify that database connection configurations comply with security best practices and that no unauthorized access paths exist within the surveillance network infrastructure.