CVE-2018-0322 in Prime Collaboration Provisioning
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web management interface of Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning (PCP) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to modify sensitive data that is associated with arbitrary accounts on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to a failure to enforce access restrictions on the Help Desk and User Provisioning roles that are assigned to authenticated users. This failure could allow an authenticated attacker to modify critical attributes of higher-privileged accounts on the device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain elevated privileges on the device. This vulnerability affects Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning (PCP) Releases 12.1 and prior. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvd61779.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0322 resides within Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning version 12.1 and earlier releases, representing a critical access control flaw in the web management interface. This weakness stems from inadequate enforcement of privilege restrictions for specific user roles within the system's authentication framework. The affected system components include the Help Desk and User Provisioning roles, which are designed to operate with limited administrative capabilities but fail to properly restrict access to sensitive operational functions. The vulnerability specifically targets the authorization mechanisms that should prevent lower-privileged users from accessing or modifying data associated with higher-privileged accounts, creating a dangerous privilege escalation pathway.
The technical flaw manifests as a failure in the access control implementation where authenticated users with Help Desk or User Provisioning roles can manipulate critical account attributes beyond their designated permissions. This occurs because the system does not adequately validate whether a user has proper authorization to modify data associated with accounts that possess higher privileges. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and exploits weak session management combined with insufficient input validation of user permissions. Attackers can leverage this flaw to modify administrative account properties, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive system functions and data. This weakness directly maps to CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for Valid Accounts and T1484 for Domain Controller Implantation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification, as it creates a pathway for attackers to escalate privileges and assume administrative control over the affected Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning system. An authenticated attacker could exploit this vulnerability to modify critical system parameters, user accounts, or configuration settings that would otherwise require administrative privileges. This could result in complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or disruption of collaboration services. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on Cisco PCP for managing their collaboration infrastructure, potentially exposing their communication systems to unauthorized modification and control. Organizations with multiple administrative accounts or those that depend on proper access controls for compliance may face significant operational and regulatory consequences. The impact is particularly severe in environments where the system manages critical communication infrastructure, as unauthorized access could lead to service disruption or data compromise.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-0322 should prioritize immediate implementation of the vendor-provided security patches and updates. Organizations must ensure that all affected Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning systems are upgraded to versions that address the access control weakness. Network segmentation should be implemented to limit access to the PCP management interface, restricting access to authorized personnel only. Regular security audits should verify that proper access controls are in place and that user permissions are correctly configured according to the principle of least privilege. Additionally, organizations should implement monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized access attempts or modifications to privileged accounts. The security team should conduct regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar access control weaknesses in other systems and ensure that proper role-based access controls are maintained throughout the infrastructure. System administrators should also review and validate user account permissions regularly to prevent the accumulation of unnecessary privileges that could be exploited by attackers.