CVE-2018-0454 in Cloud Services Platform 2100
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Cloud Services Platform 2100 could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to perform command injection. The vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation of command input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending customized commands to the web-based management interface.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-0454 resides within the web-based management interface of Cisco Cloud Services Platform 2100, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of the device's administrative functions. This platform serves as a crucial component in cloud service delivery, managing various network operations through its web interface, making it a prime target for sophisticated attackers seeking unauthorized access to enterprise infrastructure. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing commands within the system's backend operations.
The technical flaw manifests as insufficient validation of command input within the web interface, creating a command injection vulnerability that allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the affected system. This weakness directly maps to CWE-77, which defines command injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is incorporated into command execution without proper sanitization or escaping mechanisms. The vulnerability requires an attacker to possess valid authentication credentials to the web interface, but once authenticated, they can leverage this flaw to escalate their privileges and execute malicious commands that operate with the privileges of the web server process. The exploitation occurs through carefully crafted inputs that bypass the system's input validation checks, enabling attackers to inject operating system commands directly into the platform's processing pipeline.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-0454 extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to completely compromise the Cloud Services Platform 2100 and potentially gain access to underlying network infrastructure. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to execute commands that manipulate network configurations, extract sensitive data, establish persistent backdoors, or even use the compromised platform as a launch point for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability affects the platform's ability to maintain secure administrative operations and could result in significant service disruption, data breaches, or unauthorized network access that violates fundamental security principles outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. This flaw particularly impacts organizations relying on Cisco's cloud infrastructure solutions where the platform serves as a critical component in service delivery and network management.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-0454 should prioritize immediate implementation of vendor-provided security patches and updates to address the root cause of the input validation weakness. Organizations must ensure that all administrative interfaces undergo regular security assessments and that input validation mechanisms are strengthened to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other components. The remediation process should include comprehensive network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and implementation of network segmentation to limit the potential impact of successful attacks. Security teams should also consider implementing additional layers of authentication and access controls, including multi-factor authentication and role-based access controls, to reduce the attack surface and prevent unauthorized access to critical administrative functions. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059, which describes command and scripting interpreter usage, and emphasizes the importance of proper input validation as a fundamental security control that should be implemented across all network management interfaces to prevent similar command injection scenarios.