CVE-2018-0317 in Prime Collaboration Provisioning
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web interface of Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning (PCP) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to escalate their privileges. The vulnerability is due to insufficient web portal access control checks. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by modifying an access request. An exploit could allow the attacker to promote their account to any role defined on the system. This vulnerability affects Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning (PCP) Releases 12.2 and prior. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvc90286.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/26/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2018-0317 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning version 12.2 and earlier releases. This web interface vulnerability stems from inadequate access control mechanisms that fail to properly validate user permissions during authentication processes. The flaw specifically affects the web portal's authorization framework, creating a pathway for authenticated attackers to manipulate their access rights and assume higher privileges within the system. Security researchers have identified this as a significant concern given that the vulnerability can be exploited remotely by attackers who have already established initial access to the system through legitimate means.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the insufficient validation of access requests within the web portal's authentication layer. When users attempt to access system resources, the portal fails to perform adequate checks to ensure that the requested access level aligns with the user's current authorization status. This weakness allows an attacker to modify access requests in transit or through manipulation of request parameters, effectively bypassing the normal authorization flow. The vulnerability's exploitation mechanism is particularly concerning as it enables attackers to escalate their privileges to any role defined within the system, potentially granting them administrative control over the entire collaboration provisioning environment. This flaw directly maps to CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization within software systems, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for Valid Accounts and T1484 for Domain Policy Modification.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of the system's access control model. Once exploited, attackers could gain access to sensitive configuration data, modify user accounts, manipulate provisioning workflows, and potentially disrupt collaboration services across the enterprise. The vulnerability affects all roles within the system, meaning that even users with minimal privileges could be elevated to administrative status, creating a severe risk for organizations relying on Cisco PCP for their collaboration infrastructure. Organizations using affected versions of Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning face potential data breaches, service disruption, and compliance violations that could result in significant financial and operational consequences.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action from affected organizations, including prompt patching of Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning to versions that address the access control deficiencies. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to limit access to the web interface to trusted administrative networks only, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should implement multi-factor authentication for administrative access, regularly audit user permissions, and establish strict change management procedures for access control modifications. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-285 emphasizes the need for comprehensive access control reviews and the implementation of proper authorization frameworks that validate all access requests against defined security policies. Organizations should also consider implementing security information and event management systems that can detect and alert on unauthorized privilege escalation attempts, as this vulnerability represents a classic example of how insufficient access controls can lead to complete system compromise.