CVE-2015-4268 in Identity Services Engine
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Infra Admin UI in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) 1.2(1.198) and 1.3(0.876) allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via unspecified parameters in a (1) GET or (2) POST request, aka Bug ID CSCus16052.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/01/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2015-4268 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw discovered in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) versions 1.2(1.198) and 1.3(0.876) within the Infra Admin UI component. This vulnerability specifically affects the administrative interface of the Cisco ISE platform, which serves as a critical network access control solution used by organizations to manage and enforce network security policies. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of a victim's browser session, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive network resources and administrative privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the Infra Admin UI's parameter handling mechanisms. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious GET or POST requests containing specially formatted payloads that are not properly sanitized before being rendered in the web interface. The vulnerability affects unspecified parameters within the administrative user interface, making it particularly dangerous as it could potentially impact various administrative functions and data presentation areas within the ISE management console. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in software applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script execution through web interfaces.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-4268 extends beyond simple data theft or session hijacking, as it could enable attackers to escalate privileges within the ISE environment and potentially gain unauthorized access to the entire network access control infrastructure. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could manipulate administrative functions, modify network policies, access sensitive user data, and potentially establish persistent access points within the network. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations using Cisco ISE for network access control, where the administrative interface is frequently accessed by privileged users, creating a high-value target for cyber adversaries. The impact is compounded by the fact that the ISE platform typically serves as a central security control for enterprise networks, making successful exploitation potentially catastrophic for organizational security posture.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches from Cisco, which would address the input validation gaps in the Infra Admin UI. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit administrative access to the ISE interface, while web application firewalls can provide additional protection layers. Regular monitoring of administrative interface access logs for suspicious activity and implementing content security policies can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and thorough input validation in web applications, particularly in security-critical infrastructure components where administrative interfaces are exposed to network traffic. Given the nature of this vulnerability, organizations should also consider conducting security assessments of other network management interfaces and implementing comprehensive security testing procedures to identify similar weaknesses in their infrastructure components.