CVE-2020-3148 in Prime Network Registrar
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the web-based interface of Cisco Prime Network Registrar (CPNR) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attack on an affected system. The vulnerability is due to insufficient CSRF protections in the web-based interface. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading a targeted user, with an active administrative session on the affected device, to click a malicious link. A successful exploit could allow an attacker to change the device's configuration, which could include the ability to edit or create user accounts of any privilege level. Some changes to the device's configuration could negatively impact the availability of networking services for other devices on networks managed by CPNR.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-3148 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Cisco Prime Network Registrar's web-based management interface. This vulnerability class falls under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. The flaw exists due to inadequate protection mechanisms that should have been implemented to validate the origin and intent of HTTP requests submitted through the web interface. Cisco Prime Network Registrar serves as a critical component for managing DNS and DHCP services across enterprise networks, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it affects the foundational network infrastructure management tools.
The technical exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability requires an attacker to craft malicious web requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator session, would perform unauthorized administrative actions on the target system. The attacker's attack vector relies on social engineering techniques to convince a legitimate user with active administrative privileges to click on a malicious link or visit a compromised website. This attack method leverages the fact that the web interface does not properly validate the referer header or implement proper anti-CSRF tokens for state-changing operations. The vulnerability specifically affects the administrative functions that allow modification of user accounts and network configuration parameters, which are typically protected by session-based authentication mechanisms that are bypassed through this CSRF exploitation technique.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to include potential network service disruption and complete administrative control over the affected system. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could create new administrative accounts with full privileges, modify existing user permissions, or alter critical network configuration parameters that govern DNS and DHCP services. This capability directly threatens the availability and integrity of network services managed by Cisco Prime Network Registrar, as changes to core configuration elements could render network services inaccessible to legitimate users or cause widespread network disruption. The attack could be particularly devastating in enterprise environments where network stability and continuous service availability are critical business requirements, as it could lead to extended periods of network service degradation or complete network outages.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-3148 should focus on implementing proper anti-CSRF protections within the web application layer of Cisco Prime Network Registrar. Organizations should ensure that all state-changing operations within the web interface require proper anti-CSRF tokens that are validated on the server side before processing any administrative requests. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit direct access to the web management interface, while also ensuring that administrative sessions are properly secured with strong authentication mechanisms. The implementation of web application firewalls and security monitoring systems can help detect and prevent suspicious request patterns that may indicate CSRF attack attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other network management tools and systems, as this vulnerability type commonly affects web applications that handle administrative functions. Organizations should also ensure that Cisco Prime Network Registrar is updated to versions that include proper CSRF protection mechanisms, as this vulnerability was addressed through software patches released by Cisco to remediate the specific protection gaps in the web interface implementation.