CVE-2018-0327 in Identity Services Engine
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web framework of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against a user of the web interface of an affected system. The vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation of certain parameters that are passed to the affected software via the HTTP GET and HTTP POST methods. An attacker who can convince a user to follow an attacker-supplied link could execute arbitrary script or HTML code in the user's browser in the context of an affected site. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvg86743.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0327 resides within the web framework of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), a critical network access control solution that manages and enforces security policies across enterprise networks. This flaw represents a significant security weakness that undermines the integrity of the web interface authentication model, potentially allowing malicious actors to exploit user sessions through sophisticated cross-site scripting techniques. The vulnerability specifically targets the insufficient input validation mechanisms that govern how the system processes HTTP GET and HTTP POST requests, creating an attack surface where malicious payloads can be injected and executed without proper authorization. The Cisco Identity Services Engine serves as a central hub for network access control, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could compromise the entire network security infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input parameters within the web application layer of ISE. When the system receives HTTP requests containing malformed or malicious data through standard web protocols, it fails to properly validate or escape these inputs before processing them in the user context. This deficiency creates a classic cross-site scripting vulnerability that falls under CWE-79, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws in software applications. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates entirely without requiring authentication, meaning that remote attackers can exploit it from any location on the internet. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script payloads that, when clicked by an authenticated user, execute arbitrary code within the victim's browser session, effectively hijacking the user's access to the ISE management interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform session hijacking, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation within the network access control environment. An attacker who successfully executes a successful XSS attack could potentially access sensitive network configuration data, user credentials, or manipulate access control policies that govern network connectivity. The attack vector relies on social engineering techniques where users must be convinced to click on malicious links, but once executed, the consequences can be severe as the attacker gains the ability to interact with the ISE interface as the authenticated user. This vulnerability particularly threatens organizations that rely heavily on ISE for network security enforcement, as it could enable attackers to bypass network access controls and gain unauthorized access to protected network segments. The exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to complete compromise of the network access control infrastructure, potentially allowing attackers to move laterally across the network or establish persistent access points.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches provided by Cisco, which address the input validation weaknesses in the web framework. Network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced to limit exposure of the ISE management interfaces to trusted networks only. The implementation of web application firewalls and content security policies can help detect and prevent malicious script injection attempts. Regular security monitoring and user awareness training should be conducted to identify potential social engineering attempts that could exploit this vulnerability. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing multi-factor authentication and privileged access management controls to reduce the impact of successful exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers could use the XSS vulnerability to execute malicious commands through the browser interface. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of their network access control systems to identify similar input validation weaknesses that could be exploited in similar fashion.