CVE-2018-15433 in Prime Infrastructure
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the server backup function of Cisco Prime Infrastructure could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to view sensitive information. The vulnerability is due to the transmission of sensitive information as part of a GET request. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a GET request to a vulnerable device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to view sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/30/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15433 resides within Cisco Prime Infrastructure's server backup functionality, representing a critical security weakness that enables authenticated remote attackers to access sensitive data. This issue manifests through improper handling of sensitive information during backup operations, where confidential data becomes exposed through GET request parameters transmitted over the network. The vulnerability specifically targets the server backup mechanism that Cisco Prime Infrastructure employs to manage system configurations and operational data, creating an attack surface that adversaries can exploit to gain unauthorized access to critical system information.
The technical flaw stems from the insecure transmission of sensitive data elements within HTTP GET requests, which violates fundamental security principles for protecting confidential information. When the backup function processes requests, it incorporates sensitive parameters directly into the URL structure rather than utilizing secure transmission methods such as POST requests or encrypted data channels. This design flaw allows attackers to intercept and analyze network traffic to extract confidential information from the GET request parameters, effectively bypassing normal access controls and authentication mechanisms that should protect system backup data. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and demonstrates a failure in proper input validation and secure data handling practices, aligning with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and CWE-312 (Sensitive Data Exposure) classifications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with potentially valuable system data that could facilitate further attacks within the network infrastructure. An authenticated attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability gains access to backup configuration files, system parameters, and potentially user credentials or network topology information that could be used for privilege escalation or lateral movement attacks. The remote nature of the exploitation means that attackers do not require physical access to the system, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited from any location with network connectivity to the affected Cisco Prime Infrastructure device. This weakness directly impacts the CIA triad by compromising confidentiality and potentially integrity of system backup data, as attackers could potentially manipulate backup configurations to gain persistent access to network resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-15433 should focus on implementing secure transmission protocols and access controls within the Cisco Prime Infrastructure environment. Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided security patches and updates released to address this vulnerability, while also implementing network segmentation to limit access to backup functions to authorized personnel only. The implementation of secure communication protocols such as HTTPS with proper certificate validation should be enforced for all backup operations, and the configuration of the backup function should be reviewed to ensure sensitive data is not transmitted in URL parameters. Network monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect and alert on unusual GET request patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, and access controls should be strengthened through multi-factor authentication and role-based access restrictions. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following ATT&CK framework principles for defensive measures, particularly in preventing initial access and privilege escalation through information gathering and credential access techniques that rely on insecure data transmission methods.