CVE-2014-0678 in Secure Access Control System
Summary
by MITRE
The portal interface in Cisco Secure Access Control System (ACS) does not properly manage sessions, which allows remote authenticated users to hijack sessions and gain privileges via unspecified vectors, aka Bug ID CSCue65951.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0678 resides within the Cisco Secure Access Control System (ACS) portal interface, representing a critical session management flaw that undermines the system's authentication and authorization mechanisms. This issue affects the Cisco Secure ACS platform, which serves as a central authentication, authorization, and accounting solution for network access control. The vulnerability specifically targets the session handling capabilities of the web-based portal interface, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit weaknesses in the session lifecycle management. Security researchers have classified this as a session hijacking vulnerability, where authenticated users can potentially manipulate or take control of active sessions belonging to other legitimate users. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it compromises the fundamental security model that relies on proper session isolation and management.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of session identifiers and state management within the portal interface components of Cisco ACS. When users authenticate to the system through the web portal, the application generates session tokens that should remain unique and securely managed throughout the user's interaction period. However, the vulnerability allows attackers to exploit gaps in session validation mechanisms, potentially enabling them to predict, reuse, or manipulate session identifiers to impersonate other users. This weakness stems from inadequate session management practices, including insufficient session token generation entropy, lack of proper session expiration handling, or flawed session validation routines. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the vulnerability could be exploited through multiple attack paths, potentially involving session fixation, session prediction, or manipulation of session state information. The vulnerability affects the web-based administrative interface of Cisco ACS, which is commonly used by network administrators to configure and manage access control policies.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on Cisco Secure ACS for network access control and authentication services. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to administrative functions within the ACS system, potentially allowing them to modify access policies, add or remove user accounts, and manipulate network access controls. This privilege escalation capability poses a severe threat to network security infrastructure, as it could enable attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms for network resources protected by the ACS system. Organizations using Cisco ACS for wireless network access, remote access VPN services, or wired network authentication could face widespread compromise if this vulnerability is exploited. The attack could result in unauthorized network access, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with distributed network access points.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-0678 should focus on immediate patch application from Cisco, as the vendor likely released security updates addressing the session management flaws. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the affected portal interface to trusted networks only. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual session activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should review and strengthen session management practices, including implementing proper session token generation, enforcing strict session expiration policies, and monitoring session activity for anomalies. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing multi-factor authentication mechanisms to add additional layers of security beyond traditional username/password authentication. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-384, which addresses session management flaws, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential harvesting and T1078 for valid accounts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar session management weaknesses in other network infrastructure components. Organizations should also maintain comprehensive audit logs of administrative activities and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing session hijacking scenarios.