CVE-2019-12704 in SPA100 ATA
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco SPA100 Series Analog Telephone Adapters (ATAs) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to view the contents of arbitrary files on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to improper input validation in the web-based management interface. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to the web-based management interface of an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to retrieve the contents of arbitrary files on the device, possibly resulting in the disclosure of sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-12704 affects Cisco SPA100 Series Analog Telephone Adapters, which are widely deployed in enterprise and small office environments for voice communication over IP networks. These devices serve as critical components in voice infrastructure, bridging traditional analog telephone systems with modern VoIP networks. The affected web-based management interface represents a significant security weakness that undermines the integrity of the device's configuration and operational data. This vulnerability specifically targets the authentication and input validation mechanisms within the device's web management portal, creating an exploitable path that allows remote attackers to bypass normal access controls and retrieve sensitive information from the device's file system.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation within the web interface of the SPA100 Series ATAs, which creates a path for directory traversal attacks. The vulnerability manifests when the device fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input parameters in HTTP requests sent to the web management interface. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious HTTP requests that include specially formatted directory traversal sequences such as "../" or similar patterns. These crafted requests bypass the intended access controls and allow the attacker to navigate the device's file system to access files that should normally be restricted. This improper input validation directly maps to CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as directory traversal or path traversal vulnerabilities. The flaw represents a fundamental failure in input sanitization and access control enforcement within the device's web server implementation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with access to potentially sensitive configuration data, authentication credentials, and system information that could be leveraged for further attacks. The ability to retrieve arbitrary files from the device's file system could expose device configuration files containing SIP account credentials, network settings, and other operational parameters that are critical for maintaining secure voice communications. Additionally, attackers might gain access to system logs, firmware information, or other sensitive data that could reveal network topology details or aid in planning more sophisticated attacks against the broader network infrastructure. This vulnerability essentially provides a backdoor into the device's internal file system, enabling attackers to gather intelligence about the device's configuration and potentially compromise the entire voice communication infrastructure. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter, making it particularly dangerous for devices that are exposed to the internet or have limited network segmentation controls.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability by applying the latest security patches provided by Cisco, which typically include enhanced input validation and proper access control mechanisms within the web management interface. Network segmentation should be enforced to limit access to these devices to authorized personnel only, and the web management interface should be disabled or restricted to trusted network segments. Regular security audits of voice infrastructure components are essential to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network devices, as this type of weakness often indicates broader security gaps in network management interfaces. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of implementing network monitoring and intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious HTTP requests targeting web management interfaces. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access through web application exploitation, and organizations should consider this when assessing their network security posture and implementing defensive measures. Device administrators should also implement strong authentication controls, including multi-factor authentication where possible, and regularly review access logs for any suspicious activity that might indicate exploitation attempts against this or similar vulnerabilities.