CVE-2014-3345 in Transport Gateway Installation Software
Summary
by MITRE
The web framework in Cisco Transport Gateway for Smart Call Home (aka TG-SCH or Transport Gateway Installation Software) 4.0 does not properly check authorization for administrative web pages, which allows remote attackers to modify the product via a crafted URL, aka Bug ID CSCuq31503.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3345 affects Cisco Transport Gateway for Smart Call Home version 4.0, representing a critical authorization bypass flaw within the web framework component of this network infrastructure product. This issue stems from insufficient validation of user privileges when accessing administrative web interfaces, creating a pathway for unauthenticated attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive administrative functions. The flaw specifically manifests in the product's failure to properly verify authorization credentials before granting access to administrative web pages, allowing remote exploitation through crafted URL requests that bypass normal access controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the web application layer of the Transport Gateway software, where the authorization mechanism fails to adequately validate user permissions for administrative functions. Attackers can exploit this weakness by constructing specially crafted URLs that directly access administrative endpoints without proper authentication, effectively circumventing the intended security controls. This type of flaw falls under the category of improper authorization checks as defined by CWE-285, which specifically addresses situations where applications fail to properly enforce access controls for privileged operations. The vulnerability represents a classic case of weak access control implementation that allows privilege escalation through direct object reference manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote attackers to modify critical system configurations and potentially compromise the entire Transport Gateway installation. An attacker with access to the network can exploit this vulnerability to perform administrative actions such as changing system settings, modifying user accounts, or altering network configurations without requiring legitimate credentials. This unauthorized modification capability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to complete system compromise, especially when considering that Transport Gateway serves as a critical component in network management and call home functionality for Cisco products. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts usage and privilege escalation through unauthorized access to administrative interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-3345 should prioritize immediate implementation of the vendor-provided security patches and updates released by Cisco to address the authorization bypass flaw. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the Transport Gateway system, ensuring that administrative interfaces are not directly exposed to untrusted networks. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious URL patterns, enforcing strict access control policies, and conducting regular security audits of administrative interfaces. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper authorization checking in web applications and serves as a reminder of the critical need for robust access control mechanisms in network infrastructure products. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts against similar authorization bypass vulnerabilities.