CVE-2014-0722 in Unified Communications Manager
Summary
by MITRE
The log4jinit web application in Cisco Unified Communications Manager (UCM) does not properly validate authentication, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (performance degradation) via unspecified use of this application, aka Bug ID CSCum05347.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/30/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0722 affects the log4jinit web application component within Cisco Unified Communications Manager version 10.0 and earlier releases. This issue represents a significant security weakness that stems from inadequate authentication validation mechanisms within the web application layer of the unified communications platform. The vulnerability specifically impacts the authentication process that governs access to the log4jinit application, which serves as a critical interface for managing logging configurations within the Cisco UCM environment. The flaw exists in the application's inability to properly verify the authenticity of users attempting to interact with the logging initialization functionality, creating an avenue for unauthorized access and potential exploitation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests as a failure in authentication validation controls that should normally enforce proper access restrictions to sensitive administrative functions. When remote attackers exploit this weakness, they can leverage the compromised authentication mechanism to perform unauthorized operations against the log4jinit application. The specific attack vector involves unspecified usage patterns that trigger the vulnerability, though the impact is clearly defined as performance degradation leading to denial of service conditions. This authentication bypass allows malicious actors to consume system resources unnecessarily, causing legitimate users to experience degraded service performance or complete service unavailability. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and affects the web-based management interface of Cisco UCM, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited from external network positions without requiring physical access or prior authentication credentials.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-0722 extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass broader implications for enterprise communication infrastructure reliability. Organizations relying on Cisco UCM for their unified communications needs face potential business continuity risks when this vulnerability is exploited, as the denial of service conditions can severely impact voice and video communication services. The performance degradation can manifest as increased response times, reduced system throughput, or complete service outages that affect thousands of users within the organization. This vulnerability particularly affects enterprises with large-scale unified communications deployments where the log4jinit application serves as a critical management interface for logging configuration and monitoring. The attack surface is broad as the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring specialized tools or deep technical knowledge, making it accessible to a wide range of threat actors from casual attackers to organized groups.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of affected Cisco UCM systems with the appropriate security updates provided by Cisco. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the log4jinit web application interface and restrict administrative access to only trusted network segments. The implementation of additional authentication controls and monitoring mechanisms can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider disabling the log4jinit application entirely if it is not required for operational purposes, as this removes the attack surface entirely. Network access control lists should be configured to restrict access to the specific ports and services associated with the vulnerable application. According to CWE guidelines, this vulnerability maps to CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and denial of service operations. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar authentication weaknesses in other components of the unified communications infrastructure. Organizations should also maintain comprehensive monitoring of system performance metrics to quickly detect signs of resource exhaustion or unusual activity patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.