CVE-2024-20281 in Data Center Network Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 04/03/2024
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Nexus Dashboard and Cisco Nexus Dashboard hosted services could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attack on an affected system.
This vulnerability is due to insufficient CSRF protections for the web-based management interface on an affected system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading a user to click a malicious link. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to perform arbitrary actions with the privilege level of the affected user. If the affected user has administrative privileges, these actions could include modifying the system configuration and creating new privileged accounts.
Note: There are internal security mechanisms in place that limit the scope of this exploit, reducing the Security Impact Rating of this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2025
This vulnerability resides within the web-based management interface of Cisco Nexus Dashboard and its hosted services, representing a critical weakness in the platform's security architecture. The flaw manifests as inadequate cross-site request forgery protections that fail to adequately validate user requests originating from external domains. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious links designed to trick unsuspecting users into performing unauthorized actions without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication and authorization mechanisms that should prevent unauthorized modifications to system configurations and user account management. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege and proper session management that forms the cornerstone of secure web application design.
The technical execution of this CSRF attack relies on the attacker's ability to manipulate the victim's browser into making requests to the vulnerable dashboard interface without their awareness. When a user clicks on a malicious link, the browser automatically includes any relevant cookies or authentication tokens that would normally be required for legitimate access, thereby bypassing the need for explicit authentication credentials. This exploitation technique leverages the trust relationship between the browser and the vulnerable web application, where the browser automatically sends authentication information for any requests made to the same domain. The vulnerability's impact escalates significantly when the targeted user possesses administrative privileges, as the compromised session would grant full access to system configuration parameters, user management functions, and potentially sensitive data repositories. This weakness directly violates the web application security principle of ensuring that all requests originate from legitimate sources and are properly validated against expected user intent.
The operational implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple unauthorized access, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistent footholds within network infrastructure management systems. An attacker with administrative privileges could modify critical network configurations, disable security features, create backdoor accounts, or manipulate monitoring systems to hide their activities. The internal security mechanisms mentioned in the advisory serve as mitigating controls that reduce the overall impact rating, suggesting that Cisco has implemented some form of session validation or request origin checking. However, these mechanisms appear insufficient to completely prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability remains exploitable through carefully crafted cross-site requests. This situation creates a significant risk for organizations relying on these dashboard services for critical network management functions, particularly in environments where administrative access is frequently required or where users may be targeted through social engineering campaigns.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including enhanced CSRF token validation mechanisms, proper request origin checking, and implementation of Content Security Policies to prevent unauthorized cross-site requests. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery flaws in web applications, and demonstrates patterns commonly seen in ATT&CK technique T1566, which involves social engineering and credential harvesting through malicious links. Network segmentation and user education programs should complement technical controls, as the attack vector relies heavily on user interaction and trust exploitation. Regular security assessments of web application interfaces, including penetration testing and code reviews, should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other management interfaces. Additionally, implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts and monitoring for unusual configuration changes can provide additional layers of protection against exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining robust web application security practices, particularly for management interfaces that serve as primary attack vectors for network infrastructure compromise.