CVE-2019-1821 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Cisco Prime Infrastructure and Evolved Programmable Network Manager Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities

Understanding CVE-2019-1821

This CVE involves a flaw in the web-based management interface of Cisco Prime Infrastructure (PI) and Cisco Evolved Programmable Network (EPN) Manager that could allow a remote attacker with authenticated access to execute code at the root-level on the host operating system.

What is CVE-2019-1821?

The vulnerability arises due to the software's inadequate validation of user-provided data, enabling a perpetrator to upload a malicious file via the administrative web interface and execute code with root-level privileges on the underlying operating system.

The Impact of CVE-2019-1821

The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 8.8, indicating a high severity level with significant impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-1821

Vulnerability Description

The flaw allows an authenticated remote attacker to execute code with root-level privileges on the host OS due to improper validation of user-supplied input.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Cisco Prime Infrastructure
Vendor: Cisco
Version: 3.4

Exploitation Mechanism

Attacker gains authenticated access
Uploads a malicious file via the administrative web interface
Executes code with root-level privileges on the underlying OS

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply vendor-provided patches and updates promptly
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activities
Restrict access to the administrative web interface

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and systems
Conduct security training for staff on identifying and mitigating threats
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential breaches

Patching and Updates

Cisco has released patches to address this vulnerability
Ensure all affected systems are updated with the latest security fixes