CVE-2023-20078 - Multiple Vulnerabilities in Cisco IP Phones Web-Based Management Interface Lead to Potential Remote Code Execution and DoS Condition

Security researchers have recently discovered multiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of certain Cisco IP Phones. Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service (DoS) condition on the affected devices. This post will discuss the details of these vulnerabilities (bundled under CVE-2023-20078), the affected Cisco IP Phones models, and potential mitigation steps.

Vulnerabilities Details

The CVE-2023-20078 is a collection of multiple vulnerabilities in Cisco IP Phones' web-based management interface. These vulnerabilities mainly include:

1. Insufficient input validation: The web-based management interface improperly handles user-supplied data, which can be exploited by an attacker to inject arbitrary malicious code. Here is a code snippet demonstrating this issue:

def process_input(user_data):
    if not validate_data(user_data):
        raise ValueError("Invalid input!")
    else:
        execute_code(user_data) # Vulnerable to code injection

2. Improper handling of web sessions: Cisco's web management interface does not properly manage user sessions, leading to potential unauthorized access to the device's configuration.

3. Insecure update mechanism: The software update process may not properly validate the authenticity of the updates before applying them, potentially allowing an attacker to deliver malicious firmware to the phone.

Cisco IP Phone 880 Series

For a more detailed list of affected models, please refer to Cisco's official security advisory.

Exploit Details

Attackers can exploit these vulnerabilities by sending specially crafted HTTP requests to the affected device's web-based management interface. Since these vulnerabilities do not require authentication, a remote attacker can successfully exploit them without needing valid user credentials on the target device.

Mitigation Steps

Cisco has released software updates to address these vulnerabilities. Users are advised to regularly check for updates and install the latest firmware for their devices.

Furthermore, as a temporary workaround, organizations can consider the following mitigation steps

1. Disable the web-based management interface: Temporarily disable the web interface by using the device's configuration settings until the vulnerabilities are patched.

2. Restrict network access: Limit the devices that can access the web-based management interface by using Access Control Lists (ACLs) or other network-based security measures.

3. Implement network segmentation: Segregate the affected devices into a separate network segment to limit the attacker's lateral movement within the network.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-20078 highlights the importance of monitoring and securing network devices such as IP phones. It also underscores the need for organizations to stay up-to-date on the latest security patches and employ network segmentation and access restrictions when required. By following best practices and regularly updating devices, organizations can safeguard their network infrastructure from potential exploitation.

Timeline

Published on: 03/03/2023 16:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 03/10/2023 14:51:00 UTC