CVE-2018-0398 in Finesse
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco Finesse could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a server-side request forgery (SSRF) attack. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvg71018.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/08/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0398 resides within the web-based management interface of Cisco Finesse, a customer relationship management platform designed for contact centers. This critical security flaw enables unauthenticated remote attackers to execute server-side request forgery attacks without requiring any valid credentials or prior access to the system. The vulnerability specifically affects the web interface components that handle external resource requests, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate the application's behavior and potentially gain unauthorized access to internal network resources. The Cisco Bug ID CSCvg71018 documents this specific weakness within the platform's architecture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper handling of user-supplied data within the web interface's request processing mechanisms. When the Finesse management interface processes external resource requests, it fails to adequately sanitize or validate the URLs or endpoints specified by users, allowing attackers to inject malicious requests that bypass normal security controls. This flaw operates at the application layer and specifically targets the server-side processing capabilities of the web interface, making it particularly dangerous as it can leverage the server's own permissions and access rights to make unauthorized requests to internal systems. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-918, which specifically addresses server-side request forgery flaws that enable attackers to make requests from the server's perspective.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or unauthorized access, as it can enable attackers to perform reconnaissance activities against internal network infrastructure, access sensitive internal services, and potentially escalate their privileges within the affected environment. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to probe internal systems, access databases, or even compromise other services running on the same network segment that the Finesse server can reach. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this weakness from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or network credentials, making it particularly attractive to cybercriminals. This vulnerability essentially provides a backdoor mechanism that allows attackers to leverage the Finesse server as an intermediary for attacking internal systems.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate the Finesse management interface from critical internal systems, implementing web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious requests, and applying the latest security patches provided by Cisco. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage and T1069.002 for credentials in files, as attackers may use the compromised system to gather additional credentials or access other network resources. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive network monitoring to detect anomalous request patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and establish proper access controls to limit the potential damage from such attacks. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to identify similar weaknesses in other network components and maintain overall security posture against evolving threats.