CVE-2020-3384 in Data Center Network Manager
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in specific REST API endpoints of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to inject arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with the privileges of the logged-in user. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input to the API. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to the API. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to inject arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-3384 affects Cisco Data Center Network Manager DCNM, a critical network management platform used by enterprise organizations to manage and monitor data center networks. This vulnerability represents a severe security flaw that undermines the integrity of the system's authentication and input validation mechanisms. The affected REST API endpoints serve as primary interfaces for administrative operations and network configuration management, making them high-value targets for malicious actors seeking to compromise network infrastructure. The vulnerability exists within the platform's handling of user-supplied input, specifically in the validation processes that should prevent malicious data from being processed by the underlying operating system.
The technical flaw manifests as insufficient input validation within the REST API implementation, creating a command injection vulnerability that allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the host system. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-74 which categorizes improper neutralization of special elements used in a command or query. The vulnerability occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize or validate user input before incorporating it into system commands or API calls. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious requests that contain command injection payloads, which are then processed by the vulnerable API endpoints without proper sanitization. The authentication requirement means that attackers must first obtain valid credentials, but once authenticated, they can leverage this vulnerability to escalate their privileges and execute system-level commands.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it provides attackers with a pathway to gain unauthorized access to critical network infrastructure management systems. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can execute commands with the privileges of the logged-in user, potentially allowing them to access sensitive network configuration data, modify network policies, or even gain complete control over the DCNM platform. This could lead to widespread network disruption, data exfiltration, or the ability to manipulate network traffic flows. The vulnerability affects the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of the network management system, as it allows for unauthorized access to administrative functions that should be restricted to authorized personnel only.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the latest security patches from Cisco, which address the input validation deficiencies in the affected API endpoints. Network segmentation should be implemented to limit access to the DCNM platform to only authorized administrative users, and additional monitoring should be deployed to detect anomalous API usage patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Access controls should be strengthened through multi-factor authentication and role-based access controls to limit the potential impact of credential compromise. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 which covers command and scripting interpreter, specifically focusing on the execution of commands through legitimate system interfaces. Regular security assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar input validation flaws in other network management systems, as this represents a common attack vector that affects many enterprise network infrastructure platforms.