CVE-2014-3351 in Cloud Portal
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Intelligent Automation for Cloud (aka Cisco Cloud Portal) does not properly consider whether a session is a problematic NULL session, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via crafted packets, aka Bug IDs CSCuh87398 and CSCuh87380.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2022
Cisco Intelligent Automation for Cloud represents a comprehensive platform designed to automate cloud deployment and management processes within enterprise environments. The platform serves as a central hub for orchestrating cloud resources and managing complex cloud infrastructures. This system operates with multiple interconnected components including web interfaces, backend services, and database management systems that handle authentication and session management for administrative and user access. The vulnerability in question specifically targets the session validation mechanisms within the platform's authentication framework.
The technical flaw manifests in the platform's insufficient validation of session states during authentication processes. When remote attackers craft specifically designed packets, the system fails to properly identify and reject NULL sessions that should be considered invalid or problematic. This weakness stems from inadequate session state verification logic that does not adequately distinguish between legitimate sessions and potentially malicious NULL sessions. The vulnerability allows attackers to bypass normal authentication checks by exploiting the platform's failure to properly validate session integrity. This improper session handling creates a pathway for unauthorized access to sensitive system information and resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to administrative functions and sensitive data within the cloud management platform. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to obtain confidential information including user credentials, system configurations, and potentially access to underlying cloud resources. The vulnerability affects the platform's integrity and confidentiality by allowing unauthorized entities to establish valid-looking sessions without proper authentication. This creates a significant risk to enterprise cloud environments where the platform manages critical infrastructure and sensitive business data.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of Cisco Intelligent Automation for Cloud, implementing network segmentation to limit access to the platform, and deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for crafted packet patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-305 authentication weakness and can be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1110.003 for credential access through unauthenticated sessions. Organizations should also review their session management policies and implement additional authentication layers including multi-factor authentication to reduce the risk of exploitation. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous packet patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar session validation weaknesses in other enterprise systems.