CVE-2019-1841 in DNA Center
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the Software Image Management feature of Cisco DNA Center could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to access to internal services without additional authentication. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending arbitrary HTTP requests to internal services. An exploit could allow the attacker to bypass any firewall or other protections to access unauthorized internal services. DNAC versions prior to 1.2.5 are affected.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-1841 resides within Cisco DNA Center's Software Image Management feature, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the platform's access control mechanisms. This weakness stems from inadequate input validation processes that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data, creating an exploitable pathway for authenticated remote attackers to bypass normal security boundaries. The vulnerability specifically affects Cisco DNA Center versions prior to 1.2.5, indicating that organizations running older iterations of this network management platform remain at significant risk. The flaw operates by allowing an attacker with valid credentials to craft malicious HTTP requests that can traverse internal network protections and gain unauthorized access to services that should otherwise be restricted.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insufficient input validation, which maps directly to CWE-20, the Common Weakness Enumeration for "Improper Input Validation." Attackers can leverage this weakness by sending crafted HTTP requests that exploit the lack of proper sanitization, effectively enabling them to access internal services that are typically protected by firewalls and other network security controls. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege, where authenticated users can escalate their access beyond intended boundaries. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it allows attackers to bypass multiple layers of network protection that should normally prevent access to internal systems.
Operationally, this vulnerability creates a severe risk landscape for organizations relying on Cisco DNA Center for network management and orchestration. The ability to bypass firewall protections and access internal services without additional authentication transforms what should be a controlled environment into a potential attack vector for lateral movement and privilege escalation. Network administrators who are already authenticated to the DNA Center system can potentially gain access to backend databases, management interfaces, and other sensitive internal services that are normally isolated from external access. This capability significantly increases the attack surface and can lead to comprehensive system compromise, particularly when combined with other vulnerabilities or attack vectors within the network infrastructure.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies focusing on updating to Cisco DNA Center version 1.2.5 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. Network segmentation and additional access controls should be implemented to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual HTTP request patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, particularly those targeting internal services. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of implementing robust input validation controls across all network management platforms, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 for Valid Accounts and T1566 for Phishing, as attackers may leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access or move laterally within compromised networks. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other network management systems and ensure comprehensive protection against similar attack vectors.