CVE-2016-9198 in Identity Services Engine
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the Active Directory integration component of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to perform a denial of service (DoS) attack. More Information: CSCuw15041. Known Affected Releases: 1.2(1.199).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-9198 resides within the Active Directory integration component of Cisco Identity Services Engine version 1.2(1.199) and potentially other affected releases. This flaw represents a significant security weakness that enables unauthenticated remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks against the targeted system. The Cisco Identity Services Engine serves as a critical network access control solution that manages authentication, authorization, and accounting services for enterprise networks, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on its services. The vulnerability specifically impacts the integration functionality that allows ISE to communicate with Active Directory systems for user authentication and authorization purposes.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper handling of authentication requests within the Active Directory integration module. When an unauthenticated attacker sends specially crafted requests to the ISE system, the component fails to properly validate the incoming data or implement adequate protective measures against malformed inputs. This weakness creates an exploitable condition where the system becomes vulnerable to malformed authentication requests that can cause the Active Directory integration service to crash or become unresponsive. The flaw operates at the protocol level where authentication requests are processed, allowing attackers to manipulate the flow of authentication data in ways that disrupt normal service operations. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-20 as "Improper Input Validation" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.002 for "Network Denial of Service" as it enables remote attackers to disrupt network services through targeted exploitation.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-9198 extends beyond simple service disruption, as it fundamentally compromises the availability of network access control services that organizations depend upon for security operations. When successfully exploited, the vulnerability can cause the ISE system to become unresponsive, preventing legitimate users from authenticating to network resources and effectively disabling network access control capabilities. This disruption can cascade throughout an organization's security infrastructure, as the ISE system often serves as a central hub for managing network access policies and user authentication across multiple network segments. The vulnerability affects organizations that utilize Active Directory integration within their ISE deployments, potentially impacting large enterprises that rely on centralized identity management systems for their network security operations.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations to protect their network infrastructure from exploitation. The primary recommended action involves applying the relevant security patches provided by Cisco through their official security advisories, specifically addressing the identified flaw in the Active Directory integration component. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional protective measures such as access control lists to restrict communication with the affected ISE components and monitoring for unusual authentication request patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security configurations and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that protect critical infrastructure components from both known and emerging threats. Organizations should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify other potentially affected systems within their network environment and ensure proper incident response procedures are in place to address potential exploitation attempts.