CVE-2022-20961 - Unpatched Cisco ISE Vulnerability Opens the Door for Cross-Site Request Forgery Attacks
A new vulnerability, dubbed CVE-2022-20961, has recently been discovered within the web-based management interface of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE). The vulnerability could allow unauthenticated, remote attackers to conduct cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks and perform arbitrary actions on the targeted device. The issue is caused by insufficient CSRF protections, enabling attackers to exploit the vulnerability by tricking a user of the interface into following a malicious link. A successful exploit means the attacker can perform arbitrary actions on an affected device with the target user's privileges.
Code Snippet
The code snippet mentioned below is an example of how an attacker might create a crafted link that, when clicked by the victim, can exploit the vulnerability:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<h1>Important Message</h1>
<p>Please click the following link to view an important update:</p>
<a href="https://vulnerable-cisco-ise.example.com/admin/login.jsp?&csrfToken=malicious_payload"; target="_blank">Click here</a>
</body>
</html>
Cisco Reference
For the original security advisory, you can visit Cisco's official advisory page.
Exploit Details
To better understand the exploit, here's a step-by-step scenario of how an attacker might successfully exploit the vulnerability:
1. Identify the target: An attacker finds a vulnerable Cisco ISE installation with the web-based management interface.
Craft the malicious link: The attacker creates a crafted link that exploits the CSRF vulnerability.
3. Persuade the victim: The attacker sends the malicious link to the victim (usually an administrator of the affected device), possibly through email or other social engineering techniques, and convinces them to click on it.
Exploit the vulnerability: The victim clicks on the malicious link, triggering the CSRF attack.
5. Perform arbitrary actions: If the attack is successful, the attacker can now perform arbitrary actions on the affected device using the victim's privileges. Actions might include changing configuration settings, creating new users, or even completely taking control of the device.
Mitigation & Patching
As of now, there is no patch available for CVE-2022-20961. However, Cisco has provided some workarounds that can help prevent potential attacks. Administrators are advised to:
Restrict access to the web-based management interface only to trusted networks and VPN connections.
4. Implement additional security measures, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), to protect user accounts from unauthorized access.
Conclusion
CVE-2022-20961 poses a serious threat to the security of Cisco ISE installations. It's crucial to monitor for any updates from Cisco regarding a patch and to follow the recommended workarounds to minimize the risk of exploitation. As always, keeping users educated about the risks of clicking on suspicious links and implementing strong security measures are essential in defending against CSRF and other web-based attacks.
Timeline
Published on: 11/04/2022 18:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/08/2022 15:45:00 UTC