CVE-2018-0204 in Prime Collaboration Provisioning Tool
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web portal of the Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning Tool could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to create a denial of service (DoS) condition for individual users. The vulnerability is due to weak login controls. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by using a brute-force attack (Repeated Bad Login Attempts). A successful exploit could allow the attacker to restrict user access. Manual administrative intervention is required to restore access. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvd07264.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/04/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0204 resides within the web portal of Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning Tool, a critical component in enterprise communication infrastructure management. This weakness represents a significant security flaw that undermines the integrity of the system's authentication mechanisms, potentially compromising the availability and accessibility of collaboration services for end users. The vulnerability specifically manifests through insufficient login controls that fail to adequately protect against automated attack vectors targeting the authentication interface. Security researchers have categorized this issue under CWE-307, which addresses inadequate login controls and weak authentication mechanisms that allow attackers to exploit system access points through repeated unauthorized attempts.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through brute-force attack methodologies where malicious actors systematically attempt multiple login combinations to gain unauthorized access to user accounts. This attack vector leverages the absence of effective rate limiting or account lockout mechanisms that would normally prevent repeated failed authentication attempts. The weakness in the login controls creates a pathway for attackers to not only potentially compromise individual user accounts but also to deliberately disrupt service availability for specific users within the system. The attack methodology aligns with techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under credential access and defense evasion tactics, where adversaries exploit weak authentication controls to maintain persistent access or cause service disruption.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple authentication failures, as it creates a denial of service condition that specifically targets individual user access rather than entire system availability. When exploited successfully, the vulnerability allows attackers to restrict access to specific user accounts, effectively creating a targeted disruption that requires manual administrative intervention to resolve. This type of attack represents a sophisticated approach to service disruption that can be particularly damaging in enterprise environments where collaboration tools are essential for business operations. The need for manual administrative intervention indicates that the system lacks automated mechanisms to detect and respond to such attacks, potentially allowing extended periods of service degradation.
Organizations utilizing Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning Tool must implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability effectively. The primary remediation approach involves implementing robust account lockout policies that limit the number of failed authentication attempts before temporarily restricting access. Network administrators should also configure rate limiting mechanisms to prevent rapid successive login attempts from the same source. The implementation of multi-factor authentication and stronger password policies would significantly reduce the effectiveness of brute-force attacks against the system. Additionally, monitoring and logging capabilities should be enhanced to detect anomalous login patterns that could indicate automated attack attempts. According to industry best practices and security frameworks, organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on suspicious authentication activity patterns, thereby enabling proactive response to potential exploitation attempts.