CVE-2017-3817 in Unified Computing System
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the role-based resource checking functionality of Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) Director could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to view unauthorized information for any virtual machine in a UCS domain. More Information: CSCvc32434. Known Affected Releases: 5.5(0.1) 6.0(0.0).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3817 resides within the role-based access control mechanisms of Cisco Unified Computing System Director, a critical component in data center management and orchestration. This flaw represents a significant authorization bypass issue that undermines the fundamental security principles of least privilege and mandatory access controls. The vulnerability specifically affects the resource checking functionality that governs how users with different roles can access virtual machine resources within a UCS domain, creating a pathway for authenticated attackers to escalate their privileges and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information across the entire virtual infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of user permissions during resource access requests within the UCS Director's authorization framework. When an authenticated user attempts to access virtual machine information, the system should verify that the requesting user possesses the appropriate role-based permissions to access the specific resource. However, the flaw allows an attacker to bypass these checks and retrieve information about virtual machines for which they have no legitimate authorization. This represents a classic case of insufficient access control validation, where the system fails to properly enforce role-based access restrictions that should prevent users from viewing resources outside their designated scope. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and leverages the existing authentication mechanism to gain unauthorized access to information that should remain protected by the system's access control policies.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple information disclosure, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of the entire UCS domain. An authenticated attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can potentially access sensitive virtual machine configurations, resource allocations, and other confidential data that should only be visible to authorized administrators. This unauthorized access capability could enable attackers to gather intelligence about the virtual infrastructure, identify potential attack vectors, and plan more sophisticated attacks against the broader data center environment. The vulnerability affects all virtual machines within the UCS domain, making it particularly dangerous as it provides access to a complete set of resources rather than isolated information. The attack requires only authentication credentials, making it accessible to anyone with valid user accounts within the system, which could include malicious insiders or compromised user accounts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch deployment and comprehensive access control reviews. Cisco released security updates specifically addressing this vulnerability in later versions of UCS Director, and organizations should prioritize applying these patches to all affected systems. Network segmentation and monitoring should be implemented to detect unauthorized access attempts, while regular audits of user permissions and access logs should be conducted to identify potential exploitation. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege that should be enforced throughout the system. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation and credential access techniques, as it allows attackers to leverage legitimate authentication to gain unauthorized access to information. Organizations should also implement additional controls such as multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts and regular security assessments of their UCS Director implementations to prevent exploitation of similar access control weaknesses.