CVE-2019-1883 : Security Advisory and Response

An issue has been discovered in the command-line interface of Cisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC) that could potentially be exploited by a local attacker who is authenticated and has read-only credentials. This attacker may be able to insert arbitrary commands, which could subsequently grant them root privileges. The vulnerability is a result of inadequate validation of user-provided input within the command-line interface. To exploit this issue, the attacker would first need to authenticate using read-only privileges through the affected device's CLI, and then submit specifically crafted input to the relevant commands. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would enable the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the device using root privileges.

Understanding CVE-2019-1883

This section provides an overview of the vulnerability and its impact.

What is CVE-2019-1883?

CVE-2019-1883 is a vulnerability in the command-line interface of Cisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC) that allows an authenticated local attacker with read-only credentials to inject arbitrary commands, potentially leading to the acquisition of root privileges.

The Impact of CVE-2019-1883

The vulnerability poses a high risk as it could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges, compromising the affected device's security.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-1883

This section delves into the technical aspects of the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied input on the command-line interface of Cisco IMC, enabling attackers to inject arbitrary commands.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Cisco Unified Computing System E-Series Software (UCSE)
Vendor: Cisco
Versions Affected: Less than 3.0(4k) (unspecified version)

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Complexity: High
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
CVSS Score: 7.0 (High Severity)
Vector String: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Mitigation and Prevention

This section outlines steps to mitigate the vulnerability and prevent exploitation.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply vendor-provided patches or updates promptly.
Monitor Cisco's security advisories for any relevant information.
Restrict access to the affected device's CLI to authorized personnel only.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly review and update access control policies.
Conduct security training for personnel to recognize and report suspicious activities.
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential breaches.

Patching and Updates

Cisco has released security advisories and patches to address this vulnerability.
Ensure timely installation of the latest updates to protect the affected systems.