CVE-2019-1889 in Application Policy Infrastructure Controller
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the REST API for software device management in Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to escalate privileges to root on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to incomplete validation and error checking for the file path when specific software is uploaded. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by uploading malicious software using the REST API. A successful exploit could allow an attacker to escalate their privilege level to root. The attacker would need to have the administrator role on the device.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-1889 resides within the REST API implementation of Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) Software, a critical component in network infrastructure management. This flaw represents a significant security weakness that undermines the integrity of the device's privilege escalation mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically targets the file path validation and error checking processes that occur during software upload operations through the REST API interface. The affected system operates under the assumption that legitimate administrative users can be trusted, but fails to adequately validate the paths of uploaded files, creating an exploitable gap in the security model that can be leveraged by malicious actors.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on the incomplete validation of file paths during software upload processes within the REST API framework. When administrators upload software packages to the APIC device, the system performs insufficient checks on the file paths that are specified during the upload operation. This validation gap allows an authenticated attacker with administrator privileges to manipulate the file path parameters in ways that bypass normal security restrictions. The vulnerability can be classified under CWE-22 as "Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which describes "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation." The flaw enables attackers to craft malicious file paths that, when processed by the system, result in arbitrary code execution with root privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations relying on Cisco APIC for network policy management. Once successfully exploited, the attacker gains root-level access to the affected device, which provides complete control over the network infrastructure management functions. This privilege escalation allows the attacker to modify network policies, access sensitive configuration data, and potentially compromise the entire network fabric managed by the APIC. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the network management system, as the attacker can manipulate the device's behavior to suit their malicious objectives. Organizations using this software face the risk of unauthorized network access, policy manipulation, and potential data breaches that could affect their entire network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-1889 must address both the immediate vulnerability and broader security practices within the organization. Cisco has released patches and updates to address this specific issue, which should be applied immediately to all affected systems. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the APIC REST API to only trusted administrative workstations. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by ensuring that administrative accounts have the minimum required permissions and that access is strictly controlled through multi-factor authentication. Regular security audits should verify that file upload processes properly validate all input parameters and that error handling mechanisms are robust enough to prevent path traversal attacks. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious API access patterns and unauthorized privilege escalation attempts, as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework's recommendations for detecting privilege escalation activities.