CVE-2015-0768 in Prime Network Control System
Summary
by MITRE
The Device Work Center (DWC) component in Cisco Prime Network Control System (NCS) 2.1(0.0.85), 2.2(0.0.58), and 2.2(0.0.69) does not properly implement AAA roles, which allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions and execute commands via a login session, aka Bug ID CSCur27371.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0768 resides within the Device Work Center component of Cisco Prime Network Control System version 2.1(0.0.85), 2.2(0.0.58), and 2.2(0.0.69). This flaw represents a critical authorization bypass issue that fundamentally undermines the security controls designed to protect network management operations. The Device Work Center serves as a crucial interface for network administrators to manage and configure network devices, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it provides unauthorized access to privileged network management functions. The vulnerability specifically affects the implementation of Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) roles within the system, which are essential for maintaining proper access control boundaries.
The technical implementation flaw manifests in the improper handling of user role assignments and permissions within the DWC component. When authenticated users establish login sessions, the system fails to correctly validate their authorization levels against the intended access restrictions. This misconfiguration allows remote authenticated users to escalate their privileges and execute commands that should be restricted to higher-privileged roles. The vulnerability operates through a session-based attack vector where an attacker with legitimate credentials can manipulate their access rights to gain unauthorized administrative capabilities. The underlying issue stems from insufficient input validation and role-based access control enforcement mechanisms that should have prevented the privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables full command execution capabilities within the network management environment. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can potentially gain complete control over network devices managed through the Cisco Prime NCS system, allowing for network configuration changes, device monitoring, and data exfiltration. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not require physical access to the network infrastructure, making the vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors. This issue directly impacts the integrity and availability of network management operations, as unauthorized individuals could disrupt network services or compromise sensitive network configurations. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on Cisco Prime NCS for network operations, potentially exposing critical infrastructure to unauthorized manipulation.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches provided by Cisco to address the AAA role implementation flaw. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized access attempts and privilege escalation activities. The implementation of additional authentication controls and regular access review processes can help reduce the attack surface. Security teams should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious command execution patterns and unauthorized session activities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and privilege escalation. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their network management systems to identify similar authorization bypass vulnerabilities and implement robust role-based access control policies that prevent unauthorized privilege escalation across all network management platforms.