CVE-2022-31734 in Catalyst 2940
Summary
by MITRE • 06/20/2022
** Unsupported When Assigned ** Cisco Catalyst 2940 Series Switches provided by Cisco Systems, Inc. contain a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability regarding error page generation. An arbitrary script may be executed on the web browser of the user who is using the product. The affected firmware is prior to 12.2(50)SY released in 2011, and Cisco Catalyst 2940 Series Switches have been retired since January 2015.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/30/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-31734 affects Cisco Catalyst 2940 Series Switches, which are legacy networking devices that have been officially retired by Cisco since January 2015. This reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability exists within the web-based management interface of these switches, specifically during error page generation processes. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of a user's web browser when interacting with the affected device's web interface. This represents a classic reflected xss vulnerability where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being returned to the browser in error responses, creating an attack surface that can be exploited by remote unauthenticated users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the switch's web server component. When the device encounters an error condition during web interface interaction, it generates error pages that reflect user-provided parameters back to the browser without proper encoding or filtering. This creates a scenario where an attacker can craft malicious URLs or input parameters that, when processed by the switch, result in the injection of executable JavaScript code into the error page response. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication to exploit, making it accessible to any remote user who can reach the switch's web interface, and it can be leveraged to perform actions such as stealing session cookies, redirecting users to malicious sites, or executing arbitrary code within the user's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as reflected xss attacks can be used to facilitate more sophisticated attacks within the network environment. Attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to steal administrative credentials, redirect users to phishing sites, or establish persistent access through browser-based attacks. According to the CWE catalog, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and aligns with ATT&CK techniques such as T1566.001 for spearphishing with links and T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter. The fact that these switches are retired and no longer receive security updates means that organizations that may still be operating them face significant risk exposure, as there are no official patches available to address the vulnerability. This represents a classic case of legacy system security risks where outdated equipment continues to operate in production environments despite the lack of vendor support.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability are limited due to the end-of-life status of the affected hardware, but organizations should consider implementing network segmentation to isolate these devices from critical systems, disabling the web interface entirely if possible, or replacing the hardware with supported models. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also review their inventory to identify all remaining instances of these switches and develop a timeline for their complete removal from production environments. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date network infrastructure and the risks associated with operating unsupported legacy equipment in production networks. Security teams should prioritize the identification and replacement of these retired switches as part of their overall risk management strategy, since the lack of vendor support and security updates leaves these devices permanently vulnerable to exploitation.