CVE-2017-6622 in Prime Collaboration Provisioning
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web interface for Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication and perform command injection with root privileges. The vulnerability is due to missing security constraints in certain HTTP request methods, which could allow access to files via the web interface. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request to the targeted application. This vulnerability affects Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning Software Releases prior to 12.1. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvc98724.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6622 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw within Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning software that exposes organizations to severe remote code execution risks. This vulnerability specifically targets the web interface component of the collaboration provisioning platform, which serves as a centralized management system for Cisco collaboration infrastructure including voice, video, and messaging services. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms that fail to properly enforce security constraints on HTTP request methods, creating a pathway for unauthorized actors to gain elevated system privileges without proper authentication credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of missing security constraints in specific HTTP request methods that should normally require authentication and authorization. When an attacker crafts and sends a malicious HTTP request to the vulnerable application, the system fails to properly validate the request parameters and access controls, allowing the attacker to bypass the standard authentication mechanisms. This authentication bypass enables the attacker to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges, effectively granting them complete control over the underlying system. The vulnerability specifically affects Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning Software Releases prior to version 12.1, indicating that the issue was present in the software architecture and implementation practices of earlier versions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with root-level privileges that can be leveraged to compromise the entire collaboration infrastructure. Once authenticated with elevated privileges, an attacker can manipulate configuration settings, access sensitive data, modify user accounts, and potentially use the compromised system as a pivot point to attack other network segments. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the network or system, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations that rely on centralized management platforms. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) and CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in OS Command Injection), as it combines authentication bypass with command injection capabilities that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code on the target system.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigation strategies including applying the relevant Cisco security patches and updates, which address the authentication bypass and command injection flaws in the web interface. Network segmentation and access control measures should be enhanced to limit exposure of the vulnerable system to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect suspicious HTTP requests and unusual command execution patterns. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) as attackers can leverage the compromised system to establish persistence and execute commands through legitimate system interfaces. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and prevent successful exploitation of this vulnerability in production environments.