CVE-2023-5649 in Active Support Connectivity Gateway
Summary
by MITRE • 10/08/2026
An Improper Input Validation vulnerability for the registered case credentials in Brocade ASCG before v3.0 could allow a local authenticated user to provide invalid inputs like special characters leading to a Denial of Service (DoS) when collecting “supportsave” from a Brocade Switch.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/08/2026
The identified vulnerability resides within the Brocade Advanced Software Configuration Group, specifically in versions prior to 3.0, and is classified as an Improper Input Validation flaw affecting registered case credentials. This security weakness allows for a localized impact where an attacker who has already obtained authenticated access to the system can exploit insufficient sanitization mechanisms during credential processing. The core technical failure lies in the application's inability to properly validate or escape special characters when they are input into fields associated with support ticketing or diagnostic data collection processes. By injecting malformed inputs, such as specific special characters that disrupt standard parsing logic, an attacker triggers a state of instability within the software components responsible for handling these credentials.
The operational consequence of this exploitation is a Denial of Service condition specifically during the execution of the supportsave command. The supportsave function is critical for network administrators and vendors to gather diagnostic information from Brocade switches for troubleshooting purposes. When an authenticated user provides invalid inputs containing special characters, the underlying code fails to handle these anomalies gracefully, leading to a crash or hang in the process responsible for collecting system logs and configuration data. This disruption prevents legitimate administrative tasks from being completed effectively, thereby impacting network maintainability and operational continuity without requiring elevated privileges beyond standard authentication.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-20 Improper Input Validation, as the software does not adequately verify that user-supplied input conforms to expected formats or constraints before processing it. Furthermore, in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this behavior is consistent with techniques involving T1564 Hidden Files and Directories or more broadly T1078 Valid Accounts if we consider the prerequisite of local authentication, though the primary impact here is availability rather than persistence or privilege escalation. The attack vector requires a local authenticated user, which limits its exploitability to scenarios where an attacker has already compromised lower-level access credentials on the switch management interface.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve upgrading the Brocade ASCG software to version 3.0 or later, where these input validation checks have been corrected by the vendor. Until such an upgrade is feasible, administrators should enforce strict role-based access controls to limit who can execute supportsave commands and interact with credential management interfaces. Additionally, implementing network segmentation to restrict administrative access to trusted subnets reduces the attack surface available to potential local attackers. Regular monitoring of system logs for unexpected process terminations or hangs during diagnostic operations can also aid in early detection of exploitation attempts targeting this specific input validation flaw.