CVE-2019-1775 in NX-OS
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of arguments passed to certain CLI commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by including malicious input as the argument of an affected command. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with elevated privileges. An attacker would need valid administrator credentials to exploit this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-1775 represents a critical command injection flaw within Cisco NX-OS Software's command line interface implementation. This issue affects network devices running Cisco NX-OS operating system where authenticated administrators can leverage this weakness to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary code on the underlying operating system. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-provided arguments passed to specific CLI commands. The flaw exists in the software's parsing logic where maliciously crafted input can bypass security checks and be interpreted as executable commands rather than mere parameters. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in network infrastructure devices as it can provide attackers with complete control over the network equipment's operating system.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an authenticated administrator session, meaning that attackers must first obtain valid administrative credentials through other means such as credential theft, brute force attacks, or social engineering techniques. Once authenticated, the attacker can construct malicious CLI commands that include specially crafted arguments designed to exploit the insufficient input validation. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-77 and CWE-94, which relate to command injection and code injection flaws respectively, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.004 for command and script injection. The affected CLI commands likely process user input without proper sanitization, allowing attackers to inject operating system commands that get executed with the privileges of the CLI process. This creates a privilege escalation scenario where the attacker gains elevated system access that can be used to modify device configurations, exfiltrate data, or establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it provides attackers with complete control over the affected network device. An attacker with elevated privileges could modify routing tables, disable security features, install backdoors, or use the compromised device as a pivot point for attacking other systems within the network. The vulnerability affects the integrity and availability of the network infrastructure, as attackers could potentially cause service disruption or data loss. Organizations running affected Cisco NX-OS devices face significant risk of unauthorized access to their core network equipment, which could lead to widespread network compromise. The attack surface is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where network switches and routers serve as critical infrastructure components, making this vulnerability a high-priority target for threat actors seeking to establish persistent network access and conduct advanced persistent threats.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-1775 should focus on immediate patch management and operational security enhancements. Cisco released security advisories and patches addressing this vulnerability, which organizations should deploy immediately to protect their network infrastructure. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit administrative access to only necessary personnel and systems. Monitoring and logging of CLI activities should be enhanced to detect anomalous command patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar input validation issues in other network device components. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege for administrative accounts and using multi-factor authentication can reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. Network administrators should also consider implementing network access control lists and intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious CLI activity that could indicate an active attack. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices in network infrastructure software and underscores the need for regular security testing and code reviews to prevent similar issues from emerging in future releases.