CVE-2024-20441 in Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller
Summary
by MITRE • 10/02/2024
A vulnerability in a specific REST API endpoint of Cisco NDFC could allow an authenticated, low-privileged, remote attacker to learn sensitive information on an affected device.
This vulnerability is due to insufficient authorization controls on the affected REST API endpoint. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted API requests to the affected endpoint. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to download config only or full backup files and learn sensitive configuration information. This vulnerability only affects a specific REST API endpoint and does not affect the web-based management interface.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-20441 represents a critical authorization flaw within Cisco's Network Device Federation Controller (NDFC) platform. This issue manifests specifically within a designated REST API endpoint that governs access to sensitive device configuration data. The flaw stems from inadequate access control mechanisms that fail to properly validate user privileges before granting access to confidential information. Such a weakness creates a pathway for malicious actors to bypass normal security boundaries and obtain unauthorized access to critical network infrastructure data. The vulnerability affects Cisco NDFC versions that implement the affected REST API endpoint, potentially exposing organizations to significant operational and security risks.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully crafted API requests that leverage the insufficient authorization controls. An authenticated attacker with low-privileged credentials can manipulate the REST API endpoint to access configuration data that should normally be restricted to authorized administrators only. The attack vector specifically targets the API endpoint's validation logic, where the system fails to properly verify that the requesting user possesses adequate privileges for the requested operation. This flaw allows attackers to download configuration files and backup data that contain sensitive information including network topology details, device settings, and potentially credentials. The exploitation process requires minimal technical sophistication but can yield substantial intelligence about the network infrastructure, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with complex network deployments.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-20441 extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass potential network compromise and operational disruption. When attackers can obtain configuration files and backup data, they gain valuable insights into network architecture, device configurations, and potential security weaknesses that could facilitate subsequent attacks. This intelligence can enable more sophisticated attacks such as privilege escalation, lateral movement within the network, or targeted exploitation of other vulnerabilities. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it affects the REST API endpoint directly, which is commonly used for automated network management and orchestration tasks. Organizations may experience cascading security effects as attackers use the leaked information to plan more comprehensive attacks against their network infrastructure. The fact that this vulnerability does not affect the web-based management interface suggests that automated tools and API-based attacks may be more prevalent than traditional browser-based exploitation methods.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including applying the latest security patches from Cisco and implementing network segmentation to limit access to the affected API endpoint. Access control policies should be strengthened through the implementation of principle of least privilege, ensuring that only authorized personnel with legitimate business needs can access the vulnerable endpoint. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual API access patterns and unauthorized attempts to download configuration data. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control issues, and represents a clear violation of the principle that access controls should be enforced at the API layer. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as credential access and discovery, as attackers can leverage the information disclosure to gain deeper insights into the network environment. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar authorization flaws in other API endpoints and ensure comprehensive protection of network infrastructure data.