CVE-2016-6452 in Prime Home
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web-based graphical user interface (GUI) of Cisco Prime Home could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication. The attacker could be granted full administrator privileges. Cisco Prime Home versions 5.1.1.6 and earlier and 5.2.2.2 and earlier have been confirmed to be vulnerable. Cisco Prime Home versions 6.0 and later are not vulnerable. More Information: CSCvb71732. Known Affected Releases: 5.0 5.0(1) 5.0(1.1) 5.0(1.2) 5.0(2) 5.15.1(0) 5.1(1) 5.1(1.3) 5.1(1.4) 5.1(1.5) 5.1(1.6) 5.1(2) 5.1(2.1) 5.1(2.3) 5.25.2(0.1) 5.2(1.0) 5.2(1.2) 5.2(2.0) 5.2(2.1) 5.2(2.2).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/26/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6452 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw within Cisco Prime Home's web-based graphical user interface. This issue affects multiple versions of the network management software, specifically those in the 5.1.x and 5.2.x release series up to and including the specified patch levels. The flaw enables unauthenticated remote attackers to escalate their privileges to full administrator status without requiring valid credentials, fundamentally compromising the security posture of affected deployments. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and authentication mechanisms within the web interface components that handle user session management and privilege verification processes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through improper handling of authentication tokens and session management within the Cisco Prime Home web GUI. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specific requests that bypass the normal authentication flow, effectively allowing them to access administrative functions and perform operations that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. This type of flaw falls under the CWE-287 category of Improper Authentication, which encompasses issues where systems fail to properly verify the identity of users attempting to access protected resources. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it operates entirely within the web interface layer, making it accessible over standard network protocols without requiring physical access or specialized tools beyond basic network reconnaissance.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to enterprise networks that deploy Cisco Prime Home for network management and monitoring. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains complete administrative control over the affected system, enabling them to modify network configurations, access sensitive network data, disable security controls, and potentially establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no prior authentication credentials and can be executed remotely, making it highly attractive to threat actors seeking to compromise network management systems. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which covers Valid Accounts - Cloud Infrastructure, as it allows unauthorized access to administrative functions through the bypass of authentication mechanisms.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigation strategies including upgrading to Cisco Prime Home version 6.0 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address this issue. Network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced to limit exposure of the affected systems to untrusted networks, while monitoring should be implemented to detect anomalous authentication attempts or administrative activities. The remediation process should include thorough vulnerability assessments of all network management systems to identify additional potential vulnerabilities, as this type of authentication bypass flaw often indicates broader security weaknesses within the application architecture. Additionally, security teams should review and update their incident response procedures to account for the potential compromise of network management systems, as these platforms often serve as critical entry points for attackers seeking to expand their access within enterprise environments.