CVE-2024-20443 in ASA
Summary
by MITRE • 08/07/2024
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco ISE could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct an XSS attack against a user of the interface.
This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input by the web-based management interface of an affected system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by injecting malicious code into specific pages of the interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary script code in the context of the affected interface or access sensitive, browser-based information. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have at least a low-privileged account on an affected device.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/15/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-20443 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Cisco Identity Services Engine's web-based management interface. This security weakness stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing. The vulnerability exists in the web interface component of Cisco ISE, which serves as the primary administrative portal for network access control policies and user management. The insufficient validation allows malicious input to be processed and rendered without proper sanitization, creating an attack surface that can be exploited by authenticated users. The flaw specifically affects the handling of user-provided data within certain interface pages, where input fields do not adequately filter or escape potentially dangerous characters and scripts. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which categorizes cross-site scripting as a weakness where applications fail to properly validate or escape user-supplied input before incorporating it into dynamically generated content. The attack vector requires an authenticated session with at least low-privileged access, making it particularly concerning as it can be exploited by users who already have some level of system access. The web interface serves as a critical administrative point for network security policies, making this vulnerability potentially devastating for organizations that rely on Cisco ISE for their identity services and network access control.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it creates opportunities for attackers to escalate their privileges and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. When successfully exploited, the XSS attack can execute arbitrary scripts in the context of the affected web interface, potentially allowing attackers to hijack user sessions, steal authentication tokens, or access confidential data. The malicious code injected through this vulnerability could capture keystrokes, redirect users to malicious sites, or even modify the interface behavior to hide malicious activities. The attack requires only a low-privileged account, which means that an attacker with minimal access rights can leverage this vulnerability to compromise higher-level administrative functions. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have access to the management interface, as a single compromised low-privileged account could lead to broader system compromise. The browser-based nature of the attack means that the exploitation occurs within the victim's browser context, making it difficult to detect and trace. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the web interface, potentially allowing attackers to modify system configurations, view restricted information, or establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-20443 should focus on immediate remediation through official Cisco patches and updates, while implementing additional security controls to reduce the attack surface. Organizations should prioritize applying the latest security patches released by Cisco to address the root cause of the input validation failure. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit the number of users with access to the management interface, particularly those with low-privileged accounts. Implementing proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms within the web application can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in the web interface usage that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script injection highlights the need for comprehensive application security controls and regular security assessments. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious script injection attempts. Regular security training for administrators should emphasize the importance of least privilege access and the risks associated with web-based management interfaces. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and output encoding in web applications, aligning with industry standards such as OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework guidelines. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other web applications within the organization's infrastructure, ensuring comprehensive protection against similar cross-site scripting vulnerabilities.