CVE-2019-15978 in Data Center Network Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple vulnerabilities in the REST and SOAP API endpoints of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker with administrative privileges on the DCNM application to inject arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system (OS). For more information about these vulnerabilities, see the Details section of this advisory. Note: The severity of these vulnerabilities is aggravated by the vulnerabilities described in the Cisco Data Center Network Manager Authentication Bypass Vulnerabilities advisory, published simultaneously with this one.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-15978 represents a critical command injection flaw within Cisco Data Center Network Manager's REST and SOAP API endpoints. This security weakness affects the enterprise network management platform that administrators use to manage complex data center infrastructures. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the API processing logic, allowing authenticated attackers with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system. The attack vector requires an authenticated session with administrative rights, making it particularly dangerous as it leverages legitimate administrative access to escalate privileges and compromise the entire system.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through specially crafted API requests that contain malicious command sequences. When the DCNM application processes these requests, it fails to properly sanitize user input before executing operations on the underlying operating system. This creates a path for command injection attacks where an attacker can inject OS commands that get executed with the privileges of the DCNM application process. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects both REST and SOAP API endpoints, providing multiple attack surfaces for potential exploitation. The flaw aligns with CWE-77 which specifically addresses command injection vulnerabilities in software applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it enables complete system compromise of the DCNM appliance. An attacker with administrative access could potentially gain full control over network infrastructure management, access sensitive configuration data, modify network policies, and disrupt critical data center operations. The vulnerability's severity is significantly amplified when combined with other simultaneous vulnerabilities described in the same advisory, particularly the authentication bypass issues that could allow unauthenticated attackers to reach this command injection point. This creates a dangerous scenario where an attacker could potentially escalate from unauthorized access to complete system compromise through the combination of multiple vulnerabilities.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches provided by Cisco, which address the command injection flaws in the API endpoints. Network segmentation and access control measures should be enforced to limit administrative access to the DCNM application, reducing the attack surface. Additionally, implementing robust monitoring and logging of API activities can help detect suspicious command execution patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in network management systems, as highlighted by ATT&CK technique T1059 which covers command and scripting interpreter. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and API gateways to provide additional layers of protection against such injection attacks.