CVE-2025-20190 in IOS XE
Summary
by MITRE • 05/07/2025
A vulnerability in the lobby ambassador web interface of Cisco IOS XE Wireless Controller Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to remove arbitrary users that are defined on an affected device.
This vulnerability is due to insufficient access control of actions executed by lobby ambassador users. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging in to an affected device with a lobby ambassador user account and sending crafted HTTP requests to the API. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to delete arbitrary user accounts on the device, including users with administrative privileges.
Note: This vulnerability is exploitable only if the attacker obtains the credentials for a lobby ambassador account. This account is not configured by default.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/01/2025
This vulnerability exists within the lobby ambassador web interface of Cisco IOS XE Wireless Controller Software, representing a critical access control flaw that enables authenticated remote attackers to perform unauthorized user account deletion operations. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation and authorization checks within the API endpoints that handle user management functions, allowing malicious actors with legitimate lobby ambassador credentials to manipulate the system through crafted HTTP requests. The affected device configuration requires the lobby ambassador account to be manually enabled, making this vulnerability exploitable only when specific administrative oversight has been bypassed during deployment. This weakness directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and proper access control enforcement, creating a significant risk for organizations that have enabled this account for legitimate purposes.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to first obtain valid credentials for a lobby ambassador user account, which is not enabled by default within the Cisco IOS XE Wireless Controller Software configuration. Once authenticated, the attacker can leverage the insufficient access control mechanisms to send specially crafted HTTP requests that target the underlying API functions responsible for user account management. These requests bypass normal authorization checks and allow the deletion of any user account present on the device, including those with elevated administrative privileges. The vulnerability specifically affects the lobby ambassador web interface, which is designed to provide limited access to certain administrative functions while restricting others, but fails to properly enforce access boundaries for user deletion operations. This represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates inadequate input validation and access control implementation within the web application layer.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple user account deletion to potentially compromise the entire security posture of the wireless network infrastructure. When an attacker can remove administrative accounts, they effectively reduce the system's ability to maintain proper access controls and audit trails, creating opportunities for further compromise of the wireless controller. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not need physical access to the device, and can potentially conduct attacks from anywhere on the network where they can reach the web interface. This capability significantly increases the attack surface and allows for persistent compromise of the wireless infrastructure, as the attacker could remove multiple accounts to eliminate detection mechanisms and maintain long-term access. The risk is particularly elevated in environments where the lobby ambassador account has been enabled for legitimate business purposes but without proper monitoring or restriction of its capabilities.
Organizations should immediately review their Cisco IOS XE Wireless Controller configurations to ensure that lobby ambassador accounts are not enabled unless absolutely required for business operations, and implement strict monitoring for any access to the lobby ambassador interface. The recommended mitigations include disabling the lobby ambassador account entirely if not needed, implementing network segmentation to restrict access to the web interface, and deploying web application firewalls to monitor and filter API requests. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of all user accounts on affected devices to identify any unauthorized access patterns and establish proper logging and alerting for user deletion events. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability maps to CWE-285, which addresses insufficient authorization, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1531 for credential access. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of privilege escalation through inadequate access control mechanisms, and organizations should consider implementing multi-factor authentication for any accounts that remain enabled, along with regular security assessments to identify similar access control weaknesses in their network infrastructure.