CVE-2017-6730 in Wide Area Application Services
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web-based GUI of Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) Central Manager could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to retrieve completed reports from an affected system, aka Information Disclosure. This vulnerability affects the following products if they are running an affected release of Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) Software and are configured to use the Central Manager function: Cisco Virtual Wide Area Application Services (vWAAS), Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) Appliances, Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) Modules. Only Cisco WAAS products that are configured with the Central Manager role are affected by this vulnerability. More Information: CSCvd87574. Known Affected Releases: 4.4(7) 6.2(1) 6.2(3). Known Fixed Releases: 6.3(0.228) 6.3(0.226) 6.2(3d)8 5.5(7b)17.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/31/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6730 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) Central Manager web-based graphical user interface. This weakness allows unauthenticated remote attackers to access completed reports from affected systems without requiring any credentials or prior authorization. The vulnerability specifically targets Cisco WAAS products that have been configured with the Central Manager role, making it particularly concerning for organizations relying on these services for network application optimization and delivery. The flaw exists in the authentication and access control mechanisms of the web interface, creating a pathway for unauthorized data retrieval that could expose sensitive operational information.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls within the WAAS Central Manager's web-based GUI component. When the Central Manager function is enabled on affected Cisco WAAS appliances, modules, or virtual appliances, the system fails to properly validate access requests for report data. This allows attackers to craft specific HTTP requests that bypass normal authentication procedures and directly access report generation functionality. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the application layer, where it can be exploited through standard network protocols without requiring specialized tools or deep technical knowledge. The affected releases include specific versions 4.4(7), 6.2(1), and 6.2(3), with fixed versions available in 6.3(0.228), 6.3(0.226), 6.2(3d)8, and 5.5(7b)17, indicating a pattern of remediation across multiple software branches.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as completed reports from WAAS Central Manager may contain sensitive network performance metrics, application delivery statistics, and operational insights that could be valuable to adversaries. These reports might reveal information about network topology, application usage patterns, bandwidth consumption, and optimization configurations that could be leveraged for further attacks or competitive intelligence gathering. Organizations using affected WAAS products face potential risks including unauthorized access to business-critical performance data, exposure of internal network architecture details, and potential compromise of network security posture through information gathering. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers could potentially access this information from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the network infrastructure.
Security professionals should implement immediate mitigations including applying the available patches and updates to affected systems, reviewing network access controls to limit exposure of the Central Manager function, and monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity related to the affected web interface. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation to isolate WAAS Central Manager components from general network access, and establish monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) and maps to ATT&CK technique T1005 (Data from Local System) and T1083 (File and Directory Discovery), highlighting the multi-faceted nature of the threat. Given the nature of information disclosure vulnerabilities, organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their WAAS deployments and implement proper access control measures to prevent similar issues in other network management interfaces.