CVE-2014-8015 in Identity Services Engine Software
Summary
by MITRE
The Sponsor Portal in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) allows remote authenticated users to obtain access to an arbitrary sponsor s guest account via a modified HTTP request, aka Bug ID CSCur64400.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-8015 affects the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) Sponsor Portal functionality, representing a critical authorization flaw that enables remote authenticated attackers to escalate their privileges. This issue resides within the web-based administrative interface of Cisco ISE, specifically targeting the sponsor portal component that manages guest user access and account creation. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the HTTP request processing logic of the sponsor portal, allowing malicious actors to manipulate request parameters and gain unauthorized access to other sponsors' guest accounts. The flaw is particularly concerning as it requires only authenticated access to the system, meaning that an attacker who has already established a legitimate user session can exploit this weakness to access sensitive guest account information belonging to other administrators.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of HTTP request parameters that control account access and authorization within the sponsor portal. When a sponsor user makes a request to manage guest accounts, the system should validate that the requesting user has proper authorization to access or modify the specific account in question. However, the Cisco ISE Sponsor Portal fails to properly enforce these authorization checks, allowing an authenticated user to modify request parameters to reference guest accounts belonging to other sponsors. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization controls and improper input validation, which maps directly to CWE-285 (Improper Authorization) and CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation). The vulnerability essentially allows for privilege escalation through account impersonation, where a sponsor user can effectively become any other sponsor within the system by crafting appropriate HTTP requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it compromises the integrity and confidentiality of guest user management within the Cisco ISE environment. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can access, modify, or delete guest accounts belonging to other sponsors, potentially leading to unauthorized guest access to network resources, data theft, or disruption of legitimate network operations. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where ISE is used for network access control and guest management, as it could allow attackers to gain persistent access to network resources through compromised guest accounts. The vulnerability affects the overall security posture by undermining the principle of least privilege, where users should only have access to resources necessary for their specific role. This weakness can be leveraged as a stepping stone for further attacks, potentially leading to lateral movement within the network or access to additional systems that rely on ISE for authentication and authorization.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-8015 should focus on implementing proper access controls and input validation mechanisms within the Cisco ISE Sponsor Portal. Organizations should apply the official Cisco security patches and updates released to address this vulnerability, as they typically include enhanced authorization checks and improved parameter validation. Network segmentation and monitoring should be implemented to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The principle of least privilege should be enforced more rigorously, ensuring that sponsor users only have access to the guest accounts they are authorized to manage. Additionally, implementing robust logging and audit capabilities within the ISE environment will help detect unauthorized access attempts and provide forensic evidence for security investigations. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication for administrative access and regular security assessments to identify similar authorization flaws in other components of their network infrastructure. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper authorization implementation and serves as a reminder that even authenticated users should be subject to strict access controls to prevent privilege escalation attacks.