CVE-2015-4219 in Secure Access Control System
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Secure Access Control System before 5.4(0.46.2) and 5.5 before 5.5(0.46) and Cisco Identity Services Engine 1.0(4.573) do not properly implement access control for support bundles, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information via brute-force attempts to send valid credentials, aka Bug IDs CSCue00833 and CSCub40331.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-4219 affects Cisco Secure Access Control System and Cisco Identity Services Engine products, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the security posture of network access control systems. This vulnerability specifically targets the implementation of access controls for support bundles, which are essential diagnostic and troubleshooting components that contain sensitive operational data and configuration information. The flaw exists in versions prior to 5.4(0.46.2) and 5.5(0.46) for Secure Access Control System, and 1.0(4.573) for Identity Services Engine, indicating a widespread issue affecting multiple Cisco security product lines that are widely deployed in enterprise networks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient access control mechanisms that govern how support bundles are handled within these security platforms. When authenticated users attempt to access support bundles, the system fails to properly validate access permissions, creating a window where attackers can exploit this weakness through brute-force credential guessing techniques. The vulnerability operates under the principle that valid credentials can be discovered through systematic attempts, leveraging the lack of proper rate limiting, account lockout mechanisms, or additional authentication factors that should normally protect sensitive administrative functions. This flaw essentially creates a path where legitimate administrative functionality becomes accessible to unauthorized users through credential enumeration attacks, bypassing the intended security boundaries.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as support bundles typically contain highly sensitive data including network configurations, user credentials, system logs, and other operational details that could be leveraged for further attacks. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability could gain access to network access control policies, user authentication data, and system configurations that would provide them with significant insight into the target network's security infrastructure. This information could then be used for privilege escalation, lateral movement, or to craft more sophisticated attacks against the network. The vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control, and represents a classic example of how weak authentication mechanisms can lead to unauthorized data access in enterprise security systems.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant security patches provided by Cisco, which address the access control implementation issues in the support bundle handling mechanisms. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional access controls such as account lockout policies, rate limiting for authentication attempts, and monitoring for unusual access patterns to support bundles. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper privilege separation and access control implementation in security systems, as highlighted in the ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation and credential access tactics. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their deployed Cisco products to identify any other potential access control weaknesses that could be exploited in similar manners.