CVE-2018-0323 in NFVIS
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web management interface of Cisco Enterprise NFV Infrastructure Software (NFVIS) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct a path traversal attack on a targeted system. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of web request parameters. An attacker who has access to the web management interface of the affected application could exploit this vulnerability by sending a malicious web request to the affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to access sensitive information on the affected system. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvh99631.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0323 resides within the web management interface of Cisco Enterprise NFV Infrastructure Software version 3.6.0 and earlier releases. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that undermines the integrity of the system's access controls and data protection mechanisms. The affected software operates within enterprise network infrastructure environments where NFVIS serves as the primary management platform for virtualized network functions, making it a prime target for malicious actors seeking unauthorized access to sensitive operational data.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the web request processing pipeline of the NFVIS management interface. Specifically, the system fails to properly sanitize and validate user-supplied parameters that are processed during web requests. This insufficient validation creates a path traversal attack vector that allows malicious actors to manipulate file path references and navigate through the system's file structure beyond intended boundaries. The vulnerability manifests when an authenticated attacker submits specially crafted web requests that exploit the lack of proper parameter validation mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with the capability to access sensitive system files, configuration data, and potentially system credentials. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain unauthorized access to critical infrastructure information including network configuration details, user credentials, and operational parameters that could be used for further attacks within the network environment. The authenticated nature of the attack means that the vulnerability requires legitimate access to the management interface, but does not require elevated privileges beyond standard user accounts, making it particularly dangerous in environments where management access is widely distributed.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-22, which specifically addresses path traversal flaws in software applications, and represents a classic example of improper input validation leading to unauthorized file access. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) as attackers leverage legitimate access to escalate their privileges and discover sensitive system information. The vulnerability also demonstrates characteristics consistent with T1566 (Phishing) and T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) when attackers use the discovered information to conduct further exploitation activities.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches released by Cisco to address this vulnerability. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit the scope of potential attacks, while monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect suspicious web request patterns. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar validation flaws within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability underscores the importance of implementing robust input validation controls and maintaining up-to-date security patches across all enterprise infrastructure components to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.