CVE-2017-12225 in Prime LAN Management Solution
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web functionality of the Cisco Prime LAN Management Solution could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to hijack another user's administrative session, aka a Session Fixation Vulnerability. The vulnerability is due to the reuse of a preauthentication session token as part of the postauthentication session. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by obtaining the presession token ID. An exploit could allow an attacker to hijack an existing user's session. Known Affected Releases 4.2(5). Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvf58392.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12225 represents a critical session fixation issue within Cisco Prime LAN Management Solution version 4.2(5). This flaw resides in the web application's session management mechanism and specifically affects the transition from preauthentication to postauthentication states. The vulnerability stems from the improper handling of session tokens where a preauthentication session identifier is reused during the postauthentication phase, creating a predictable and exploitable condition that compromises user session integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a fundamental flaw in the session token lifecycle management within the web application framework. When users authenticate to the Cisco Prime LAN Management Solution, the system generates a session token during the preauthentication phase that should ideally be discarded or regenerated upon successful authentication. However, in this case, the system reuses the same session token identifier, allowing an attacker who has obtained the preauthentication token to maintain access to the system even after legitimate authentication has occurred. This behavior violates standard session management security principles and creates a persistent access vector that can be exploited by remote attackers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables sophisticated session hijacking attacks that can compromise administrative privileges within the network management system. An authenticated remote attacker who successfully obtains a preauthentication session token can leverage this information to hijack existing user sessions, potentially gaining administrative control over network configurations and management functions. This poses significant risks to network security operations, as it allows attackers to execute privileged commands, modify network settings, and potentially escalate their access to other systems within the network infrastructure managed by the Prime LAN Management Solution.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a direct violation of the CWE-384 principle of session fixation, which specifically addresses the improper reuse of session identifiers and the resulting security implications. The attack vector requires only remote access and authentication privileges, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network administrators may be using the system from various locations. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.003, which describes session hijacking and credential access through the exploitation of session management weaknesses. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including session token regeneration upon authentication, proper session invalidation procedures, and network segmentation to limit the potential impact of such attacks.
Cisco has acknowledged this vulnerability through bug ID CSCvf58392 and has provided remediation guidance for affected systems running version 4.2(5) of the Prime LAN Management Solution. The recommended approach includes applying the latest security patches and updates provided by Cisco, implementing additional session management controls, and monitoring for suspicious authentication patterns. Organizations should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems that can identify unusual session token usage patterns and potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper session management in web applications and serves as a reminder of the need for comprehensive security testing and validation of authentication mechanisms in enterprise network management systems.