CVE-2015-6337 in Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Enterprise Module
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Enterprise Module (APIC-EM) 1.0.10 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a crafted hostname in an SNMP response, aka Bug ID CSCuw47238.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-6337 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Cisco's Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Enterprise Module version 1.0.10. This security weakness resides in the APIC-EM's handling of SNMP responses, specifically when processing hostname data that has been manipulated by an attacker. The flaw enables remote threat actors to execute malicious web scripts or HTML code within the context of a victim's browser session, potentially compromising user data and system integrity. The vulnerability was catalogued under Cisco bug ID CSCuw47238, indicating its classification within the company's internal tracking system for security issues.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization of hostname values received through SNMP communication protocols. When the APIC-EM processes SNMP responses containing crafted hostnames, it fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as HTML or JavaScript code. This inadequate sanitization allows attackers to inject malicious payloads that execute in the browser context of authenticated users who interact with the APIC-EM web interface. The attack vector specifically targets the hostname field within SNMP responses, making it particularly dangerous as SNMP is commonly used for network device monitoring and management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, potentially enabling attackers to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive authentication tokens, or redirect users to malicious websites. Given that APIC-EM serves as a critical network policy management platform, successful exploitation could compromise network security policies and allow attackers to manipulate network access controls. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the network infrastructure, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for enterprise environments where network management systems are frequently targeted. This flaw aligns with CWE-79 which classifies cross-site scripting vulnerabilities as weaknesses in input validation and output encoding.
Organizations utilizing Cisco APIC-EM 1.0.10 should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates released to address this vulnerability. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring for suspicious SNMP traffic patterns and restrict SNMP access to trusted network segments only. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in web applications, particularly those handling data from external sources like SNMP responses, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection attacks. Security teams should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their network management systems and ensure that all components are running patched versions to prevent exploitation of similar weaknesses in the broader attack surface.