CVE-2014-8012 in ASA
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the WebVPN Portal Login page in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via crafted attributes in a cookie, aka Bug ID CSCuh24695.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2017
The CVE-2014-8012 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software's WebVPN Portal Login page. This vulnerability specifically affects the authentication interface of Cisco's security appliances, making it particularly dangerous as it targets the initial point of access for users attempting to establish secure connections through the VPN service. The flaw exists within the processing of cookie attributes during the login authentication flow, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content into the authentication page.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the WebVPN Portal's cookie handling mechanism. When users attempt to log in through the WebVPN interface, the system processes cookie attributes without proper sanitization of user-supplied data. Attackers can craft malicious cookies containing script tags or HTML elements that bypass the application's security controls during the authentication process. This occurs because the ASA software fails to properly escape or validate cookie values before they are rendered in the web interface, creating a classic XSS attack vector that allows for client-side code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it can enable attackers to perform session hijacking, redirect users to malicious sites, or execute arbitrary commands within the context of the authenticated user's browser. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could potentially gain unauthorized access to the VPN service, establish persistent access to the internal network, or harvest sensitive authentication credentials from users who unknowingly interact with the malicious content. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for organizations relying on Cisco ASA appliances for remote access security, as it undermines the fundamental trust model of the authentication system.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the latest Cisco ASA software releases that contain patches for this specific XSS flaw, disabling unnecessary web-based management interfaces, and implementing strict cookie security policies with proper HttpOnly and Secure flags. Network segmentation and monitoring of authentication traffic can help detect potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage. The remediation approach should include comprehensive security testing of web interfaces, regular vulnerability assessments, and adherence to secure coding practices that prevent improper input handling in authentication mechanisms.