CVE-2018-0344 in SD-WAN Solution
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the vManage dashboard for the configuration and management service of the Cisco SD-WAN Solution could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to inject and execute arbitrary commands with vmanage user privileges on an affected system. The vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation of data parameters for certain fields in the affected solution. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by configuring a malicious username on the login page of the affected solution. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to inject and execute arbitrary commands with vmanage user privileges on an affected system. This vulnerability affects the following Cisco products if they are running a release of the Cisco SD-WAN Solution prior to Release 18.3.0: vBond Orchestrator Software, vEdge 100 Series Routers, vEdge 1000 Series Routers, vEdge 2000 Series Routers, vEdge 5000 Series Routers, vEdge Cloud Router Platform, vManage Network Management Software, vSmart Controller Software. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvi69974.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2018-0344 represents a critical command injection flaw within the Cisco SD-WAN Solution's vManage dashboard component. This issue affects the configuration and management service of Cisco's software-defined wide area network infrastructure, specifically targeting the vmanage user interface that administrators use to manage network policies and configurations. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data parameters, creating an exploitable entry point for authenticated attackers who can manipulate the system through the login interface.
The technical exploitation mechanism relies on insufficient validation of data parameters, particularly within fields that handle user authentication data. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious usernames that contain specially formatted command sequences designed to bypass normal input sanitization. When the system processes these malformed inputs during the authentication workflow, it fails to properly validate or escape the payload, allowing the system to interpret and execute the embedded commands as part of the legitimate processing flow. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-74, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in data queries, and more broadly aligns with CWE-94 which covers improper execution of code due to inadequate input validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it allows attackers with valid authentication credentials to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the vmanage user account. This presents a significant risk to network infrastructure management systems, as the vmanage user typically possesses extensive administrative capabilities over the SD-WAN environment, including the ability to modify network policies, configure routing protocols, and manage device configurations. The attack vector requires only authenticated access to the system, meaning that an attacker who has already gained valid user credentials can leverage this vulnerability to escalate their privileges and potentially compromise the entire SD-WAN infrastructure. This vulnerability specifically affects multiple Cisco SD-WAN components including vBond Orchestrator Software, vEdge routers across multiple series, vManage Network Management Software, and vSmart Controller Software, creating widespread exposure across the entire SD-WAN ecosystem.
The remediation strategy for this vulnerability centers on upgrading affected systems to Cisco SD-WAN Solution Release 18.3.0 or later, which includes proper input validation mechanisms that prevent malicious payloads from being processed through the authentication interface. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected components receive the necessary security updates. Additionally, network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit the blast radius of potential exploitation, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous authentication patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and sanitization in web applications, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and script injection, and reinforces the need for robust security controls in management interfaces that handle user input. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of their SD-WAN management systems to identify and remediate similar input validation weaknesses that could create additional attack vectors.