CVE-2019-16002 in SD-WAN Solution
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the vManage web-based UI (web UI) of the Cisco SD-WAN Solution could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attack on an affected system. The vulnerability is due to insufficient CSRF protections for the web UI on an affected instance of vManage. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading a user to follow a malicious link. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to perform arbitrary actions with the privilege level of the affected user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2024
The CVE-2019-16002 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the vManage web-based user interface of Cisco's SD-WAN solution, a network infrastructure component widely deployed for managing software-defined wide area networks. This vulnerability exists specifically within the web UI layer of the vManage platform, which serves as the central management console for Cisco's SD-WAN environments and provides administrators with comprehensive control over network policies, device management, and operational monitoring functions. The flaw stems from inadequate implementation of cross-site request forgery protections, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate authenticated sessions through deceptive web requests. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates without requiring authentication credentials from the attacker, leveraging the trust relationship between the web UI and legitimate users who may unknowingly interact with maliciously crafted links.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a carefully constructed malicious link that, when clicked by an authenticated user, triggers unauthorized actions within the vManage web interface. The flaw manifests as a failure to implement proper anti-CSRF tokens or other protective mechanisms that would normally validate the origin of requests and ensure that actions originate from legitimate user interactions rather than forged requests from external domains. This weakness allows attackers to craft web requests that appear to come from the legitimate vManage interface, enabling them to execute operations such as modifying network policies, adding or removing devices from the SD-WAN fabric, or accessing sensitive configuration data. The attack vector relies entirely on social engineering tactics, where users are deceived into clicking malicious links that appear legitimate or are embedded within compromised websites, making the vulnerability particularly difficult to detect and prevent through traditional network monitoring approaches.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of organizations relying on Cisco's SD-WAN solution for their network infrastructure management. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to manipulate critical network configurations, potentially causing service disruptions, creating backdoors for persistent access, or enabling lateral movement within the network environment. The vulnerability affects the entire scope of administrative functions within the vManage UI, including but not limited to device provisioning, policy management, user account modifications, and system configuration changes that could have cascading effects throughout the SD-WAN infrastructure. Organizations utilizing this platform face significant risk of unauthorized network modifications that could compromise network availability, integrity, and confidentiality, particularly in environments where network management is centralized and where the vManage interface serves as the primary administrative access point.
Security mitigations for CVE-2019-16002 should focus on immediate implementation of Cisco's official security patches and updates, which address the underlying CSRF protection deficiencies in the vManage web interface. Network administrators should also implement additional defensive measures including web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious cross-site request patterns, enhanced monitoring of vManage web interface access patterns, and user education programs to reduce susceptibility to social engineering attacks. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for the use of spearphishing attachments and T1566.002 for spearphishing via web applications, emphasizing the social engineering aspects of exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation strategies to limit direct access to vManage interfaces from untrusted networks and establish robust incident response procedures specifically designed to detect and respond to unauthorized configuration changes within SD-WAN environments. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security controls and the potential for seemingly simple web application flaws to create substantial operational security risks in enterprise network management systems.