CVE-2015-6434 in Prime Infrastructure
Summary
by MITRE
Cisco Prime Infrastructure does not properly restrict use of IFRAME elements, which makes it easier for remote attackers to conduct clickjacking attacks and unspecified other attacks via a crafted web site, related to a "cross-frame scripting (XFS)" issue, aka Bug ID CSCux64856.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/02/2022
Cisco Prime Infrastructure suffers from a critical cross-frame scripting vulnerability that fundamentally undermines web application security boundaries. The flaw exists in how the system handles IFRAME elements within its web interface, creating an insecure cross-origin communication channel that violates fundamental web security principles. This vulnerability stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of frame-related content, allowing malicious actors to inject crafted IFRAMEs that can manipulate the user's browsing context. The issue specifically impacts the web-based management interface of Cisco Prime Infrastructure, which serves as the central management platform for network infrastructure components including wireless controllers, switches, and routers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability enables attackers to construct malicious websites that can embed the vulnerable Prime Infrastructure interface within hidden or deceptive frames. When users navigate to these crafted sites, the attacker-controlled frames can overlay legitimate interface elements, making it extremely difficult for users to distinguish between genuine and malicious interactions. This creates an ideal environment for clickjacking attacks where users unknowingly perform actions on the target system while believing they are interacting with benign content. The vulnerability's classification as cross-frame scripting aligns with CWE-749, which addresses "Exposed Dangerous Method or Function" and specifically covers the exposure of potentially dangerous functions that can be exploited across frame boundaries.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents significant risk to network administrators who rely on Prime Infrastructure for critical network management tasks. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to network configurations, modify device settings, or extract sensitive operational data without proper authentication. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as the vulnerability can be leveraged to conduct more sophisticated attacks including credential harvesting, session hijacking, and privilege escalation within the network management environment. Network security teams face the challenge of defending against attacks that can bypass traditional perimeter security measures since the vulnerability exists within the trusted management interface itself.
The attack surface for this vulnerability encompasses all users who access the Prime Infrastructure web interface, particularly network administrators and security personnel who may inadvertently visit malicious sites. The exploitation requires minimal technical skill from attackers, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users may not be security-aware. Organizations using Cisco Prime Infrastructure are vulnerable to attacks that can remain undetected for extended periods, as the malicious behavior occurs within legitimate user sessions. The vulnerability's relationship to the ATT&CK framework places it within the privilege escalation and defense evasion categories, specifically targeting the web application attack surface and exploiting trust relationships within the network management ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive frame-ancestoring policies and content security policy headers to prevent unauthorized embedding of the Prime Infrastructure interface. Organizations must deploy web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious frame injection attempts, while also ensuring that all users receive security awareness training about the risks of visiting untrusted websites. Cisco has issued patches that address the underlying cross-frame scripting issue, requiring immediate deployment across all affected systems. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit exposure, while regular security assessments should verify that the vulnerability has been properly remediated and that no other similar issues exist within the web application framework.