CVE-2018-0452 in Tetration Analytics
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Tetration Analytics could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against a user of the web-based management interface of an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input by the web-based management interface. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading a user of the interface to click a customized link. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary script code in the context of the interface or access sensitive browser-based information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/30/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0452 resides within the web-based management interface of Cisco Tetration Analytics, a platform designed for network visibility and security analytics. This system operates as a critical component in enterprise security infrastructure, providing deep packet inspection and behavioral analytics for network traffic monitoring. The flaw represents a significant security weakness that undermines the integrity of the user interface and potentially compromises the entire security posture of organizations relying on this platform for network monitoring and threat detection. The vulnerability affects Cisco Tetration Analytics versions prior to 2.1.1, making it a persistent threat to deployments that have not been properly updated.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the web interface's processing pipeline. Specifically, the web-based management interface fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamic web page content. This inadequate validation creates an environment where malicious payloads can be injected and executed without proper authorization. The vulnerability manifests as a classic cross-site scripting flaw, where user-controllable data flows directly into the HTML output without proper encoding or escaping. According to CWE-79, this corresponds to Cross-Site Scripting, a well-documented weakness that has been consistently exploited in web applications. The flaw represents a failure in the principle of least privilege and proper input sanitization that should be fundamental to any secure web application design.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution capabilities, as it provides attackers with the means to conduct sophisticated social engineering campaigns. An attacker can craft malicious links that, when clicked by an authenticated user of the web interface, would execute arbitrary JavaScript code within the victim's browser context. This code execution occurs with the privileges and permissions of the authenticated user, potentially enabling access to sensitive browser-based information such as session cookies, stored credentials, or other confidential data. The attack vector requires user interaction through a phishing or spear-phishing campaign, but once successful, it can lead to complete compromise of the administrative interface. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it targets the management interface of a security platform, potentially allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to network monitoring data and security configurations. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, where adversaries leverage browser-based scripting to execute malicious code.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through official Cisco security advisories and patch management processes. The recommended mitigation involves upgrading to Cisco Tetration Analytics version 2.1.1 or later, which contains the necessary input validation fixes. Network administrators should also implement additional protective measures such as web application firewalls, browser security policies, and user education programs to reduce the risk of successful exploitation. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious user behavior patterns that might indicate attempted exploitation of this vulnerability. The incident underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing robust input validation mechanisms as fundamental defense-in-depth strategies against web-based attacks. Organizations should also conduct regular security assessments of their management interfaces to identify similar vulnerabilities that could be exploited by threat actors.