CVE-2018-0391 in Prime Collaboration Provisioning
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the password change function of Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to cause the system to become inoperable. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of a password change request. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by changing a specific administrator account password. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the affected device to become inoperable, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. This vulnerability affects Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning (PCP) Releases 12.2 and prior. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvd86586.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/29/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0391 resides within Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning software, specifically targeting the password change functionality of the system. This weakness represents a critical security flaw that enables authenticated remote attackers to disrupt service availability by manipulating administrative account credentials. The vulnerability impacts Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning versions 12.2 and earlier, making it a significant concern for organizations utilizing these legacy systems. The affected software operates as a centralized provisioning platform for collaboration services, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise enterprise communication infrastructure. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the password change request processing logic, which fails to properly verify the legitimacy and constraints of password modification attempts.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a carefully crafted password change request that bypasses normal validation procedures. When an authenticated attacker submits a malicious password change request, the system fails to properly validate the new password against established security policies and constraints. This insufficient validation creates a condition where attackers can manipulate administrative account credentials in ways that ultimately lead to system instability. The flaw specifically affects the password change function's ability to enforce proper password complexity requirements and account management policies. According to the Cisco Bug ID CSCvd86586, the vulnerability manifests when the system processes password modification requests without adequate sanitization and verification of the input parameters. This weakness aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation as a fundamental security flaw that can lead to various attack vectors including denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple authentication bypasses to encompass complete system denial of service conditions. When successfully exploited, the vulnerability allows attackers to render the affected Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning system inoperable, effectively disrupting enterprise communication services that depend on this platform. The DoS condition can result in significant business disruption as organizations lose access to their centralized collaboration provisioning capabilities. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations with large-scale communication infrastructures that rely on Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning for managing their unified communications deployments. The impact is compounded by the fact that the attacker only requires authentication credentials to exploit this vulnerability, making it accessible to individuals with legitimate access rights who may have malicious intentions. The disruption can potentially cascade across entire enterprise communication networks, affecting voice, video, and messaging services that depend on the provisioning platform.
Organizations affected by CVE-2018-0391 should implement immediate mitigation strategies to protect their systems from exploitation. The primary recommendation involves upgrading to Cisco Prime Collaboration Provisioning releases that contain patches addressing this vulnerability, specifically versions beyond 12.2. Cisco has released security advisories and patches to address this issue, making software updates the most effective remediation approach. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit the scope of potential exploitation, particularly restricting access to administrative functions. The implementation of multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts can provide additional protection layers against unauthorized password modifications. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous password change activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious authentication patterns and password change requests. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in the broader network infrastructure. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust input validation mechanisms as outlined in the ATT&CK framework's defense-in-depth principles. This case illustrates how seemingly minor validation flaws can result in catastrophic service disruption and underscores the necessity of comprehensive security testing for all authentication and authorization mechanisms within enterprise systems.