CVE-2018-15440 in Identity Services Engine
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against a user of the web interface of an affected system. The vulnerability is due to insufficient sanitization of user-supplied data that is written to log files and displayed in certain web pages of the web-based management interface of an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by convincing a user of the interface to click a specific link or view an affected log file. The injected script code may be executed in the context of the web-based management interface or allow the attacker to access sensitive browser-based information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15440 represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within Cisco Identity Services Engine's web-based management interface. This vulnerability resides in the system's insufficient sanitization mechanisms for user-supplied data that gets logged and subsequently displayed in web interface pages. The flaw specifically affects the ISE platform's handling of input validation processes, creating an attack vector that can be exploited by unauthenticated remote adversaries without requiring any prior authentication credentials to access the affected system. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-79, which defines cross-site scripting as a common weakness in web applications where user-controllable data is improperly sanitized before being rendered in web pages.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of log file entries that are subsequently displayed within the web interface. When an attacker crafts malicious input and submits it through the system's management interface, this input gets stored in log files and later rendered on web pages without proper sanitization. The attacker can construct a malicious link or inject script code that appears legitimate when viewed by an unsuspecting user who accesses the affected web interface. This stored XSS vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can persist for extended periods, allowing attackers to execute scripts in the context of the victim's browser session, potentially gaining access to sensitive information or performing unauthorized actions within the management interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to access sensitive browser-based information and potentially escalate privileges within the ISE environment. The attack requires social engineering to convince users to click on malicious links or view compromised log files, but once executed, the attacker can leverage the victim's authenticated session to perform actions that the user is authorized to perform. This includes accessing sensitive configuration data, viewing user credentials, or manipulating the ISE environment. The vulnerability's presence in the web-based management interface makes it particularly attractive to attackers targeting enterprise security infrastructure, as successful exploitation can provide access to critical identity management functions and potentially compromise the entire security ecosystem.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-15440 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the web interface components of the ISE system. Organizations should apply Cisco's official security patches and updates as soon as they become available, while also implementing network segmentation to limit access to the ISE management interface. The implementation of web application firewalls and security monitoring solutions can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts by monitoring for suspicious script injection patterns in log files. Additionally, administrative users should be trained to recognize potential social engineering attempts and to avoid clicking on suspicious links or viewing untrusted log file content. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining robust input sanitization processes and adheres to ATT&CK technique T1059.005 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers can leverage stored XSS to execute malicious scripts within the victim's browser context and potentially gain deeper access to the affected system.