CVE-2019-15986 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Cisco Unity Express Command Injection Vulnerability

Understanding CVE-2019-15986

This CVE involves a vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco Unity Express that could be exploited by a local attacker with authenticated access to inject and execute arbitrary commands with root privileges.

What is CVE-2019-15986?

The vulnerability in Cisco Unity Express allows an attacker with valid administrator credentials to inject and execute arbitrary commands with root privileges through inadequate input validation in specific CLI commands.

The Impact of CVE-2019-15986

The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 6.7, indicating a medium severity issue with high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack complexity is low, requiring high privileges and no user interaction.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-15986

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Cisco Unity Express allows a local attacker to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges by injecting crafted CLI commands due to inadequate input validation.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Cisco Unity Express
Vendor: Cisco
Affected Version: Unspecified

Exploitation Mechanism

Attacker needs authenticated access
Attacker must possess valid administrator credentials
Exploitation involves injecting carefully crafted CLI commands
Successful exploitation grants the attacker root-level privileges

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply vendor patches and updates promptly
Monitor system logs for any suspicious activities
Restrict access to vulnerable systems

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and firmware
Implement the principle of least privilege to limit access
Conduct security training for administrators and users

Patching and Updates

Cisco has released patches to address this vulnerability
Ensure all systems running Cisco Unity Express are updated with the latest patches