CVE-2015-4306 in Prime Collaboration Assurance
Summary
by MITRE
The web framework in Cisco Prime Collaboration Assurance before 10.5.1.53684-1 allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended login-session read restrictions, and impersonate administrators of arbitrary tenant domains, by discovering a session identifier and constructing a crafted URL, aka Bug IDs CSCus88343 and CSCus88334.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/18/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2015-4306 represents a critical session management flaw within Cisco Prime Collaboration Assurance software that affects versions prior to 10.5.1.53684-1. This issue falls under the category of improper access control and session handling weaknesses that can lead to privilege escalation and unauthorized administrative access. The vulnerability specifically targets the web framework component of the collaboration assurance platform, which serves as the primary interface for managing and monitoring collaboration services within enterprise networks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate session identifier management and insufficient validation of access controls within the application's authentication system. Attackers with valid user credentials can exploit this weakness by discovering legitimate session identifiers through various reconnaissance techniques and then constructing specially crafted URLs that bypass the intended read restrictions. This flaw allows authenticated users to manipulate session tokens and gain access to administrative functions typically restricted to authorized personnel within specific tenant domains. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it enables attackers to impersonate administrators across arbitrary tenant domains, effectively breaking the multi-tenant isolation that should protect different customer environments within the same platform.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it fundamentally compromises the security model of the Cisco Prime Collaboration Assurance platform. Organizations utilizing this software face significant risks including data breaches, unauthorized configuration changes, and potential compromise of entire collaboration infrastructures. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require elevated privileges initially, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by malicious insiders or external attackers who have obtained legitimate user credentials. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to complete system compromise when combined with other vulnerabilities or through credential theft techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-4306 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to the recommended versions that address the session identifier handling and access control validation issues. Organizations should implement additional security controls including regular monitoring of session activity, implementing strict session management policies, and conducting thorough access control reviews. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous session behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-613 and CWE-285 categories related to insufficient session management and improper access control, respectively, and can be mapped to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication and enhanced logging mechanisms to provide additional layers of protection against similar session management vulnerabilities that may exist in other components of their collaboration infrastructure.