CVE-2024-20475 in Catalyst SD-WAN Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 09/25/2024
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, formerly Cisco SD-WAN vManage, could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against a user of the interface.
This vulnerability exists because the web-based management interface does not properly validate user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by inserting malicious data into a specific data field in an affected interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary script code in the context of the affected interface.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-20475 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager's web-based management interface, formerly known as Cisco SD-WAN vManage. This security weakness exposes organizations relying on Cisco's software-defined wide area network solutions to potential exploitation by authenticated remote attackers who can manipulate the system through carefully crafted input data. The vulnerability specifically resides in the interface's insufficient validation mechanisms for user-supplied data, creating a persistent security gap that undermines the integrity of the management platform. The affected system operates within a highly sensitive operational environment where management interfaces typically contain privileged access controls and administrative functions, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for organizations maintaining critical network infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability stems from the web-based management interface's failure to properly sanitize and validate user input before processing and rendering data within the user interface. When an authenticated attacker submits malicious data into specific input fields within the interface, the system fails to adequately filter or escape the input before it is displayed to other users or processed by the browser. This lack of input validation creates a persistent vector where attacker-controlled scripts can be injected and executed within the context of legitimate user sessions. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications, where inadequate input validation allows malicious scripts to be executed in the victim's browser context. The exploitation process requires the attacker to be authenticated to the system, which reduces the attack surface but does not eliminate the severity of the impact, as the compromised session can potentially escalate to full administrative privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the compromised session context. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, modify interface content, or even escalate privileges within the management system. The affected interface typically serves as the primary administrative portal for network configuration, monitoring, and management functions, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise network operations. Organizations may face potential data exfiltration, unauthorized configuration changes, and disruption of network services if this vulnerability is exploited. The threat landscape for such vulnerabilities is particularly concerning given the increasing sophistication of attack vectors targeting network management interfaces, where attackers can leverage the elevated privileges associated with administrative access to cause widespread damage.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-20475 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from Cisco, as the vendor has likely released security advisories and firmware updates addressing this specific XSS vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the management interface to trusted administrative networks only, reducing the attack surface available to potential attackers. Input validation and output encoding should be enhanced throughout the application's interface, with strict sanitization of all user-supplied data before processing. Security monitoring should be implemented to detect anomalous activity within the management interface, particularly unusual data submissions or attempts to inject script code. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers and proper input validation mechanisms aligns with recommended practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework, providing additional layers of defense against similar vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and penetration testing of management interfaces should be conducted to identify and remediate similar input validation weaknesses before they can be exploited by threat actors. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative access to further reduce the risk of unauthorized access to the vulnerable management interface.