CVE-2019-1824 in Prime Infrastructure
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Prime Infrastructure (PI) and Cisco Evolved Programmable Network (EPN) Manager could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary SQL queries. This vulnerability exist because the software improperly validates user-supplied input in SQL queries. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request that contains malicious SQL statements to the affected application. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to view or modify entries in some database tables, affecting the integrity of the data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-1824 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the web-based management interfaces of Cisco Prime Infrastructure and Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager products. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into SQL query constructions. The flaw exists in the authentication and authorization layers of these network management platforms, which are designed to provide centralized control and monitoring capabilities for enterprise networks. Security researchers have classified this issue as a significant risk due to its potential for data compromise and system integrity violations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an authenticated attacker who can send specially crafted HTTP requests containing malicious SQL payloads to the affected web interfaces. This authentication requirement does not mitigate the risk significantly, as network administrators often maintain persistent access to these systems, and credentials can be compromised through various attack vectors including credential theft, phishing, or insider threats. The improper input validation occurs at the application layer where user inputs are directly concatenated into SQL statements without proper sanitization or parameterization techniques. This design flaw allows attackers to manipulate the intended query execution flow and potentially gain unauthorized access to database contents.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it enables attackers to modify or delete critical database entries that contain network configuration data, user credentials, and operational metrics. Network administrators rely on these management systems for maintaining secure network operations, and compromise of the underlying database can lead to complete system control and unauthorized network modifications. The integrity of network configurations and security policies stored within these databases becomes compromised, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate network access controls, routing policies, and monitoring parameters. This vulnerability affects the fundamental trust model of network management systems, where the assumption of authenticated access is compromised.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying Cisco's security patches and updates to address the SQL injection vulnerability in their Prime Infrastructure and EPN Manager deployments. Network segmentation and access control measures should be enhanced to limit exposure of these management interfaces to only necessary administrative users. Input validation controls and parameterized queries should be implemented or verified in the application code to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate potential injection flaws in network management systems. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws, and represents a technique commonly associated with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the data manipulation and privilege escalation categories. Organizations must also consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions to detect and alert on suspicious SQL query patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.