CVE-2018-0187 in Identity Services Engine
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the Admin portal of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to obtain confidential information for privileged accounts. The vulnerability is due to the improper handling of confidential information. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging into the web interface on a vulnerable system. An exploit could allow an attacker to obtain confidential information for privileged accounts. This information could then be used to impersonate or negatively impact the privileged account on the affected system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/03/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0187 resides within Cisco Identity Services Engine's Admin portal, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of privileged account management. This weakness specifically targets the improper handling of confidential information, creating a pathway for authenticated remote attackers to access sensitive data that should remain protected. The vulnerability affects Cisco ISE deployments where the web interface is accessible, making it particularly concerning given the privileged nature of the accounts that can be compromised. The flaw manifests when an attacker successfully authenticates to the system through the web interface, leveraging their legitimate access to extract confidential information that would normally be restricted to authorized personnel only.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate information handling mechanisms within the Admin portal's authentication and authorization frameworks. When an authenticated user accesses the system, the application fails to properly sanitize or restrict access to confidential data associated with privileged accounts. This improper handling creates a data exposure scenario where sensitive account information can be retrieved through crafted requests or by leveraging the authenticated session. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically affects the web-based administrative interface, making it accessible over network connections without requiring additional exploitation techniques. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in information flow handling where confidential data is not properly protected during processing or transmission within the application.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-0187 extends beyond simple information disclosure, creating significant risks for network security and access control. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains access to privileged account credentials, session tokens, or other confidential information that could enable further compromise of the affected system. This access could facilitate privilege escalation attacks, lateral movement within the network, or complete system takeover. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where ISE serves as a critical component for network access control and identity management. The compromised information could be used to impersonate legitimate administrators, modify access policies, or conduct unauthorized network activities that would otherwise be restricted to authorized personnel. This vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and can undermine the entire security architecture that ISE is designed to protect.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant Cisco security patches and updates released to address the flaw. Network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced to limit exposure of the Admin portal to only necessary administrative users. Regular monitoring of authentication logs and suspicious access patterns should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including credential access and privilege escalation, making it important for security teams to consider this threat in their defensive strategies. Additional controls such as multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, regular security assessments, and comprehensive access reviews should be implemented to reduce the risk of exploitation. System administrators should also consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for potential exploitation attempts targeting the vulnerable web interface components.