CVE-2018-0107 in Prime Service Catalog
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web framework of Cisco Prime Service Catalog could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute unwanted actions on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to a lack of cross-site request forgery (CSRF) protection. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by tricking the user of a web application into executing an adverse action. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvg30313.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/01/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0107 resides within Cisco Prime Service Catalog's web framework, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of the application's authentication and authorization mechanisms. This weakness stems from insufficient cross-site request forgery protection measures, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate user sessions and execute unauthorized operations. The vulnerability specifically affects the web-based management interface of Cisco Prime Service Catalog, which is commonly used for service provisioning and catalog management within enterprise environments. The absence of proper CSRF safeguards means that legitimate users who are authenticated to the system can be deceived into performing actions they did not intend to execute, thereby compromising the system's security posture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the fundamental principle of cross-site request forgery attacks where an attacker crafts malicious web requests that appear to originate from a legitimate user. The flaw manifests when the web application fails to validate the origin of requests, allowing an attacker to leverage a victim's authenticated session to perform unauthorized operations. This type of vulnerability typically occurs when applications do not implement proper token validation mechanisms or when the application does not adequately verify that requests originate from trusted sources. The specific nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which categorizes cross-site request forgery as a weakness that enables attackers to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent. The attack vector requires the victim to be authenticated to the web application and to interact with a malicious webpage or link that contains crafted requests designed to exploit the vulnerable application's lack of CSRF protection.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-0107 extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it creates opportunities for attackers to compromise entire service catalog environments and potentially escalate privileges within the network. An unauthenticated remote attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary commands, modify service configurations, or access sensitive information stored within the Prime Service Catalog. The consequences can be particularly severe in enterprise environments where service catalogs manage critical infrastructure provisioning and service delivery processes. Attackers could potentially disrupt service operations, gain unauthorized access to protected resources, or use the compromised system as a foothold for further network infiltration. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require physical access or local network presence to carry out successful attacks, making it particularly dangerous in connected environments where the web interface is accessible from external networks.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations to protect their Cisco Prime Service Catalog deployments. The primary recommendation involves implementing proper CSRF token validation mechanisms within the web application framework, ensuring that all state-changing operations require verification of legitimate user intent through unique tokens. Network segmentation strategies should be employed to limit external access to the Prime Service Catalog web interface, while implementing robust firewall rules to restrict access to only trusted administrative networks. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other web applications within the enterprise environment. Additionally, administrators should ensure that the Cisco Prime Service Catalog is running the latest software versions that include patches addressing this vulnerability, as referenced in Cisco Bug ID CSCvg30313. The implementation of web application firewalls and enhanced monitoring solutions can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining robust web application security practices and adheres to ATT&CK framework techniques related to web application exploitation and session manipulation, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security controls that address both application-level and network-level threats.