CVE-2020-3335 in Application Services Engine
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the key store of Cisco Application Services Engine Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to read sensitive information of other users on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient authorization limitations. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging in to an affected device locally with valid credentials. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read the sensitive information of other users on the affected device.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-3335 resides within the key store implementation of Cisco Application Services Engine Software, representing a critical authorization flaw that undermines the security posture of affected network devices. This weakness manifests as insufficient access controls within the software's credential management system, creating a pathway for authenticated local attackers to bypass normal security boundaries and access data belonging to other user accounts. The vulnerability specifically targets the application services engine platform where users can establish local sessions with valid credentials, making it particularly concerning for environments where multiple administrative or operational accounts exist on the same device.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a fundamental flaw in the authorization model where the system fails to properly enforce user isolation mechanisms. When an attacker successfully authenticates locally with valid credentials, the system does not adequately restrict their access to user-specific data, allowing them to traverse the key store and retrieve sensitive information belonging to other users. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates poor separation of duties within the application services engine's security architecture. The flaw essentially allows for privilege escalation through information disclosure rather than traditional privilege elevation techniques, making it particularly insidious as it leverages legitimate authentication mechanisms to gain unauthorized access to confidential data.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-3335 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the sensitive data potentially accessible through this vulnerability could include cryptographic keys, user credentials, configuration information, and other confidential operational data that could be leveraged for further attacks. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality and integrity of the affected system, as it allows attackers to access data that should remain isolated to specific user accounts. Organizations utilizing Cisco Application Services Engine Software face significant risk from this vulnerability, particularly in environments where multiple administrative users operate on the same device or where sensitive operational data is stored within the key store. The vulnerability could enable attackers to gather intelligence for more sophisticated attacks, potentially leading to complete system compromise through the acquisition of additional credentials or system configuration details.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-3335 should focus on implementing proper access controls and user isolation mechanisms within the application services engine software. Organizations should ensure that all affected devices are updated with the latest security patches provided by Cisco, as the vendor has addressed this vulnerability through software updates that strengthen the authorization controls within the key store implementation. Network administrators should also implement additional monitoring and logging of local authentication activities to detect potential exploitation attempts, while enforcing strict access control policies that minimize the number of users with local administrative privileges. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses inadequate access control, and could be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts, as the attack exploits legitimate user credentials to gain unauthorized access to system resources. Regular security assessments and privilege reviews should be conducted to ensure that the system maintains proper user isolation and that no unnecessary access permissions exist within the application services engine environment.