CVE-2017-6691 in Elastic Services Controller
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the ConfD CLI of Cisco Elastic Services Controllers could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to access sensitive information on an affected system. More Information: CSCvd29403. Known Affected Releases: 2.3(2).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/27/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6691 resides within the ConfD Command Line Interface component of Cisco Elastic Services Controllers, representing a significant security weakness that undermines the integrity of access controls. This flaw specifically affects version 2.3(2) of the affected software, where the implementation of authentication mechanisms fails to properly enforce access restrictions for sensitive operational data. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and insufficient privilege checking within the CLI subsystem, creating an avenue for exploitation that bypasses normal security boundaries.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through authenticated remote access attempts where an attacker with valid credentials can manipulate CLI commands to extract information that should normally be restricted to administrative users. The flaw operates at the application layer and leverages the existing authentication framework to gain unauthorized access to sensitive configuration data, system parameters, and operational metrics. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checking where the system fails to properly validate user privileges before granting access to confidential information. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control mechanisms, and demonstrates how weak privilege enforcement can lead to information disclosure.
Operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information exposure, as it enables attackers to gather intelligence that could facilitate further exploitation attempts against the affected infrastructure. The compromised data may include system configuration details, user account information, network topology data, and other sensitive operational parameters that could be used to plan more sophisticated attacks. Attackers could potentially use this information to identify system weaknesses, map network connections, or discover additional vulnerabilities within the broader infrastructure. This vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that remains active as long as the affected software version is deployed, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with extended deployment cycles or delayed patch management processes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-6691 should prioritize immediate remediation through official Cisco software updates and patches that address the underlying access control implementation. Organizations must ensure comprehensive testing of patches in non-production environments before deployment to avoid service disruptions. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit exposure of affected systems to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous CLI access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper privilege management and input validation in CLI implementations, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other network management components and ensure comprehensive protection against information disclosure threats.