CVE-2018-0119 in Spark
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in certain authentication controls in the account services of Cisco Spark could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to interact with and view information on an affected device that would normally be prohibited. The vulnerability is due to the improper display of user-account tokens generated in the system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging in to the device with a token in use by another account. Successful exploitation could allow the attacker to cause a partial impact to the device's confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvg05206.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/02/2020
This vulnerability resides within Cisco Spark's account services authentication framework, representing a critical weakness in access control mechanisms that could enable unauthorized information disclosure. The flaw manifests when the system improperly displays user-account tokens generated during authentication processes, creating a scenario where legitimate authentication tokens can be leveraged by malicious actors to access resources beyond their authorized scope. The vulnerability specifically affects the token management and validation procedures within the device's authentication subsystem, where the system fails to properly validate token ownership and account associations during the login process. This misconfiguration allows an authenticated attacker to exploit the system by utilizing a valid token from one account to impersonate another user and gain access to restricted information and functionalities.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a token reuse attack vector where an attacker with access to a valid authentication token can leverage it against the authentication system to bypass normal access controls. When an attacker logs into the device using a token that is currently active for another account, the system's inadequate token validation mechanisms fail to properly verify the token's association with the requesting user, resulting in unauthorized access to account-specific data and system resources. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks and improper session management, where the system does not adequately verify that the token being presented belongs to the user attempting to access the system. The vulnerability's impact extends across all three fundamental security principles as defined by the CIA triad, affecting confidentiality through unauthorized data access, integrity through potential manipulation of account information, and availability through possible service disruption or resource exhaustion.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on Cisco Spark for communication and collaboration services, as it creates a pathway for attackers to access sensitive information and potentially escalate privileges within the affected system. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to view confidential communications, access restricted files, and potentially modify account settings or system configurations that would normally be protected from unauthorized access. The partial impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability indicates that while the vulnerability does not provide complete system compromise, it does enable substantial unauthorized access that could lead to more severe security incidents. Organizations using Cisco Spark services face the risk of data leakage, unauthorized account manipulation, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure if this vulnerability remains unpatched.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing robust token validation mechanisms and strengthening authentication controls within the Cisco Spark environment. Organizations should ensure that all authentication tokens are properly validated against their associated user accounts and that the system enforces strict token ownership verification before granting access to system resources. Network administrators should apply the vendor-provided security patches and updates that address the specific token handling flaws identified in Cisco Bug ID CSCvg05206. Additionally, implementing monitoring controls to detect unusual authentication patterns and token usage could help identify potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of authentication mechanisms to verify that token validation occurs properly and that account isolation is maintained between different user sessions. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication and session management policies to reduce the overall risk exposure associated with this vulnerability. This remediation aligns with security best practices outlined in the CWE database under categories related to improper authorization and insufficient authentication token validation, and addresses tactics identified in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under credential access and privilege escalation techniques.