CVE-2015-4225 in Application Policy Infrastructure Controller
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) 1.0(1.110a) and 1.0(1e) on Nexus 9000 devices does not properly implement RBAC health scoring, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors, aka Bug ID CSCuq77485.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-4225 affects Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) versions 1.0(1.110a) and 1.0(1e) running on Nexus 9000 devices, representing a significant security flaw in the network infrastructure's access control mechanisms. This issue stems from improper implementation of Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) health scoring functionality, which creates an avenue for remote authenticated attackers to exploit the system and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The vulnerability specifically impacts the health scoring mechanisms that are designed to monitor and evaluate the operational status of network components, but instead exposes critical system data through flawed access controls.
The technical flaw manifests in the APIC's failure to properly enforce access restrictions during health scoring operations, allowing authenticated users to bypass intended security boundaries and access information that should remain protected. This represents a deviation from standard RBAC implementations where access permissions are strictly enforced based on user roles and privileges. The unspecified vectors suggest that the attack surface encompasses multiple potential pathways through which an authenticated user could leverage this weakness, potentially including API calls, web interface interactions, or command-line operations within the APIC environment. The vulnerability essentially creates a situation where the system's own health monitoring capabilities become a vector for information disclosure rather than a protective mechanism.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it undermines the fundamental security posture of network infrastructure managed by Cisco APIC. Remote authenticated attackers who can exploit this flaw may gain access to sensitive operational data including network configuration details, user credentials, device status information, and potentially other confidential system parameters that would normally be restricted to authorized administrative personnel. This exposure could enable attackers to conduct further reconnaissance, plan more sophisticated attacks, or potentially escalate their privileges within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on Nexus 9000 devices for their data center networking, as these systems often serve as critical control points for network policy enforcement and monitoring.
Organizations affected by CVE-2015-4225 should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Cisco security patches and updates released to address this specific vulnerability. Network administrators should also review and strengthen their access control policies, ensuring that RBAC configurations are properly enforced and that health scoring mechanisms are not inadvertently exposing sensitive data. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege that should govern all access control systems. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, as attackers can leverage the flawed health scoring to obtain information that could facilitate further compromise of the network infrastructure. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring and logging mechanisms to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish more robust security controls around administrative interfaces and health monitoring features.