CVE-2019-1936 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Cisco Integrated Management Controller Supervisor, Cisco UCS Director, and Cisco UCS Director Express for Big Data Command Injection Vulnerability

Understanding CVE-2019-1936

This CVE involves a command injection vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Unified Computing System Director, potentially allowing an authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands as the root user.

What is CVE-2019-1936?

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC) Supervisor, Cisco UCS Director, and Cisco UCS Director Express for Big Data could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying Linux shell as the root user. The issue arises due to inadequate validation of user-supplied input.

The Impact of CVE-2019-1936

CVSS Base Score: 7.2 (High Severity)
Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: High
Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability Impact: High
The vulnerability could be exploited by an attacker with privileged access to the affected device, enabling the execution of arbitrary commands on the root user's Linux shell.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-1936

This section provides detailed technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows an authenticated attacker with privileged access to execute arbitrary commands on the root user's Linux shell through the web-based management interface.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Product: Cisco Unified Computing System Director
Vendor: Cisco
Vulnerable Versions: Less than 6.7.3.0 (unspecified custom version)

Exploitation Mechanism

The attacker needs privileged access to the vulnerable device.
Exploitation involves sending a malicious request to a specific section of the web-based management interface after logging in with administrator privileges.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2019-1936 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply vendor-provided patches or updates promptly.
Restrict access to the web-based management interface to authorized personnel only.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activity.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and firmware.
Conduct security training for administrators on best practices to prevent command injection attacks.

Patching and Updates

Cisco has released patches to address this vulnerability. Ensure timely application of these patches to mitigate the risk of exploitation.