CVE-2015-0700 in Secure Access Control Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Dashboard page in the monitoring-and-report section in Cisco Secure Access Control Server Solution Engine before 5.5(0.46.5) allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users, aka Bug ID CSCuj62924.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/09/2022
The CVE-2015-0700 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Cisco Secure Access Control Server Solution Engine's monitoring and reporting dashboard functionality. This vulnerability exists in versions prior to 5.5(0.46.5) and specifically targets the dashboard page within the monitoring-and-report section of the security solution. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate authenticated sessions by exploiting the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms in the web interface. Attackers can craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate authenticated users, thereby bypassing the authentication controls that should normally protect the system's administrative functions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects the core monitoring and reporting capabilities of the security solution, which are frequently accessed by administrators and security personnel who require elevated privileges to manage network access controls and monitor security events.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the failure to implement proper request validation mechanisms in the affected Cisco Secure Access Control Server components. When users navigate to the monitoring-and-report section of the web interface, the system should validate that requests originate from legitimate authenticated sessions and contain appropriate anti-forgery tokens or similar protective measures. However, the absence of such validation allows attackers to construct malicious web pages or send crafted HTTP requests that automatically execute administrative functions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability specifically impacts the dashboard page where users typically access monitoring data, reports, and configuration options. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in the implementation of anti-CSRF controls, falling under CWE-352 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities. The flaw essentially allows attackers to perform unauthorized actions within the context of an authenticated session, potentially enabling them to modify security policies, access sensitive monitoring data, or manipulate user access controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it compromises the fundamental security model of the Cisco Secure Access Control Server Solution Engine. Remote attackers who successfully exploit this flaw can hijack administrative sessions to perform unauthorized operations, potentially leading to complete compromise of the access control infrastructure. The vulnerability affects the monitoring and reporting functionality, which typically includes access to user authentication logs, network access control policies, and security event monitoring capabilities. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive monitoring data, modify access control policies, or even redirect users to malicious sites while maintaining the appearance of legitimate system operations. This creates a significant risk for organizations that rely on the monitoring-and-report section for security operations, as the attacker could remain undetected while performing malicious activities within the system. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers Phishing for Information, and T1078 which addresses Valid Accounts, as it enables attackers to leverage legitimate administrative sessions for unauthorized access.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates released for Cisco Secure Access Control Server Solution Engine version 5.5(0.46.5 and later. The patch addresses the missing CSRF protection mechanisms by implementing proper token validation and session integrity checks in the affected dashboard functionality. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit direct access to the monitoring-and-report interfaces from untrusted networks. Security teams should also implement monitoring for suspicious activities in the affected system components, particularly unusual access patterns to the dashboard pages and administrative functions. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing comprehensive CSRF protection mechanisms in web applications, especially those handling sensitive administrative functions and security monitoring capabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication for administrative access and regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web-based components of their security infrastructure.