CVE-2024-20385 in Nexus Dashboard Orchestrator
Summary
by MITRE • 10/02/2024
A vulnerability in the SSL/TLS implementation of Cisco Nexus Dashboard Orchestrator (NDO) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to intercept sensitive information from an affected device.
This vulnerability exists because the Cisco NDO Validate Peer Certificate site management feature validates the certificates for Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC), Cisco Cloud Network Controller (CNC), and Cisco Nexus Dashboard only when a new site is added or an existing one is reregistered. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by using machine-in-the-middle techniques to intercept the traffic between the affected device and Cisco NDO and then using a crafted certificate to impersonate the affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to learn sensitive information during communications between these devices.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2024
This vulnerability in Cisco Nexus Dashboard Orchestrator represents a critical weakness in the secure communication framework that protects enterprise network infrastructure. The issue stems from incomplete certificate validation mechanisms within the NDO's site management functionality, specifically affecting the validation of certificates for Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller, Cisco Cloud Network Controller, and Cisco Nexus Dashboard components. The vulnerability creates a window of opportunity for attackers to exploit the trust relationships that exist between these network management systems, potentially compromising the integrity of sensitive operational data exchanged between them.
The technical flaw manifests in the conditional certificate validation process that only occurs during initial site registration or re-registration events. This design oversight means that once a site is successfully registered with the NDO, the system does not continuously validate the authenticity of certificates presented by these managed devices during ongoing communications. Attackers can leverage this gap by employing man-in-the-middle techniques to intercept network traffic between the affected devices and the NDO, then present a crafted certificate that appears legitimate to the NDO system. This approach exploits the fundamental principle that certificate validation should be an ongoing process rather than a one-time event, creating a persistent security risk that can be exploited over time.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass potential compromise of network management infrastructure and sensitive operational data. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain access to critical network configuration details, operational parameters, and potentially administrative credentials that flow between the managed devices and the NDO system. This represents a significant threat to network security posture, as the NDO serves as a central orchestrator for network management functions, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to establish persistent access or gain deeper insights into network operations. The vulnerability's remote and unauthenticated nature means that attackers can exploit it without requiring prior access credentials, significantly expanding the attack surface and reducing the effectiveness of traditional network security controls.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate NDO systems from untrusted network segments, enhanced monitoring of certificate validation processes, and implementation of additional authentication layers beyond the existing certificate-based mechanisms. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295 which addresses improper certificate validation and relates to ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers credential harvesting through man-in-the-middle attacks. Security teams should also consider implementing network traffic analysis tools to detect anomalous certificate exchanges and establish automated alerting for certificate validation failures. Regular security assessments of certificate management processes and continuous monitoring of network communications between NDO and managed devices will be essential to maintain security posture against this and similar vulnerabilities that exploit trust relationship weaknesses in network infrastructure management systems.