CVE-2016-1320 in Prime Collaboration
Summary
by MITRE
The CLI in Cisco Prime Collaboration 9.0 and 11.0 allows local users to execute arbitrary OS commands as root by leveraging administrator privileges, aka Bug ID CSCux69286.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1320 represents a critical command injection flaw within Cisco Prime Collaboration software versions 9.0 and 11.0. This issue manifests through the command line interface component that is accessible to local users with administrative privileges, creating a pathway for unauthorized command execution at the highest system level. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the CLI implementation, allowing maliciously crafted inputs to bypass security controls and execute arbitrary operating system commands with root privileges. The flaw specifically affects the administrative interface of Cisco Prime Collaboration platforms, which are widely deployed in enterprise environments for managing unified communications infrastructure including voice and video services. Security researchers have categorized this vulnerability under CWE-77, which specifically addresses command injection flaws in software systems, highlighting the fundamental weakness in how user inputs are processed within the command execution pipeline.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with complete control over the affected system. Local users who already possess administrative credentials can exploit this flaw to execute any command available to the root user, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and persistence mechanisms establishment. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal privileges to exploit, as administrative access is already assumed to be available to the attacker. This weakness enables attackers to perform actions such as modifying system files, creating new user accounts, installing malicious software, and accessing sensitive data stored within the collaboration platform. The affected Cisco Prime Collaboration versions are commonly used in mission-critical environments where communication reliability and security are paramount, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on these platforms for their unified communications infrastructure.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including restricting local administrative access to the Cisco Prime Collaboration systems, applying the latest security patches provided by Cisco, and implementing network segmentation to limit access to these critical systems. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001, which covers command and scripting interpreter, specifically targeting the execution of commands through command-line interfaces. Additionally, this weakness corresponds to CWE-20, which covers improper input validation, and CWE-77, which addresses command injection vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing comprehensive monitoring solutions to detect suspicious command execution patterns and establish robust access control policies to limit local administrative privileges. The remediation process requires careful planning to ensure that security updates do not disrupt ongoing collaboration services while maintaining the integrity of the communication infrastructure. Network administrators should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected software versions and ensure that all administrative interfaces are properly secured against unauthorized access attempts.