CVE-2019-16004 in Vision Dynamic Signage Director
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the REST API endpoint of Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Director could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to missing authentication on some of the API calls. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a request to one of the affected calls. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to interact with some parts of the API.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/23/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-16004 resides within the REST API endpoint of Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Director, a network infrastructure component designed for digital signage management. This device operates within enterprise environments where it manages and controls digital displays across multiple locations, making it a critical component in visual communication systems. The flaw represents a significant security weakness that undermines the fundamental principle of authentication within the system's API framework, creating an attack surface that adversaries can exploit without requiring valid credentials or prior access to the network.
This vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms implemented within specific API calls of the Vision Dynamic Signage Director's REST interface. The affected API endpoints lack proper authentication checks, allowing any remote attacker to access restricted functionality without presenting valid credentials. The technical nature of this flaw aligns with CWE-287, which describes improper authentication vulnerabilities where authentication mechanisms are inadequate or missing. Attackers can exploit this by crafting and sending specially formatted requests to the vulnerable API endpoints, bypassing the normal authentication flow that should protect sensitive system functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables attackers to interact with portions of the API that should remain protected. This unauthorized interaction capability could allow adversaries to manipulate digital signage content, modify display configurations, or potentially gain insights into the network infrastructure. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where digital signage systems are integrated with broader network operations, as it could serve as a foothold for further attacks. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1071.004 for application layer protocols and T1190 for exploitation of remote services, representing the attacker's ability to leverage vulnerable services for unauthorized access.
Organizations utilizing Cisco Vision Dynamic Signage Director should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including applying the vendor's security patches as soon as they become available. Network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced to limit exposure of the affected API endpoints to only authorized systems. Additional protective measures include implementing network monitoring to detect anomalous API access patterns, configuring firewalls to restrict access to the affected service, and conducting thorough network assessments to identify all instances of the vulnerable software. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper authentication implementation in network services and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of API endpoints to prevent similar weaknesses from being exploited by threat actors.