CVE-2015-0581 in Prime Service Catalog
Summary
by MITRE
The XML parser in Cisco Prime Service Catalog before 10.1 allows remote authenticated users to read arbitrary files or cause a denial of service (CPU and memory consumption) via an external entity declaration in conjunction with an entity reference, as demonstrated by reading private keys, related to an XML External Entity (XXE) issue, aka Bug ID CSCup92880.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0581 represents a critical XML External Entity (XXE) flaw within Cisco Prime Service Catalog software versions prior to 10.1. This security weakness stems from the improper handling of XML input by the application's XML parser component, which fails to adequately validate or sanitize external entity declarations. The vulnerability specifically affects authenticated users who can submit malicious XML content through the service catalog interface, creating a pathway for unauthorized data access and system disruption.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of XML processing mechanisms where external entity declarations can be crafted to reference local files on the server filesystem. When the vulnerable parser processes such malformed XML input, it automatically resolves entity references and attempts to access the specified file paths, potentially exposing sensitive information such as private cryptographic keys, configuration files, or other system data. This XXE vulnerability operates at the parser level, making it particularly dangerous as it bypasses traditional application-level security controls and directly targets the underlying XML processing infrastructure.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-0581 extends beyond mere information disclosure to include significant denial of service conditions. Attackers can construct malicious XML payloads that cause the XML parser to consume excessive CPU resources and memory during processing, leading to system performance degradation or complete service unavailability. This dual nature of the vulnerability makes it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where Cisco Prime Service Catalog serves as a critical component of service management infrastructure. The ability to read arbitrary files combined with potential DoS capabilities provides attackers with both reconnaissance opportunities and system disruption capabilities.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) and maps to ATT&CK technique T1213.002 (External Remote Services) and T1566.001 (Phishing via Service Provider). The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in XML processing implementations. Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigations including disabling external entity resolution in XML parsers, implementing strict XML schema validation, and employing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious XML payloads. Regular security updates and patch management procedures are essential to address this vulnerability, as the affected Cisco Prime Service Catalog versions require immediate remediation to prevent exploitation. The vulnerability also highlights the need for secure coding practices that emphasize proper XML parser configuration and input sanitization to prevent similar issues in other applications that process external XML content.