CVE-2020-3446 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A vulnerability in Cisco Virtual Wide Area Application Services (vWAAS) with Cisco Enterprise NFV Infrastructure Software (NFVIS)-bundled images for Cisco ENCS 5400-W Series and CSP 5000-W Series appliances could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to log into the NFVIS CLI of an affected device by using accounts that have a default, static password.

Understanding CVE-2020-3446

This CVE involves a critical vulnerability in Cisco vWAAS for Cisco ENCS 5400-W Series and CSP 5000-W Series appliances.

What is CVE-2020-3446?

The vulnerability allows unauthorized access to the NFVIS CLI of affected devices using default, static passwords, potentially granting an attacker administrator privileges.

The Impact of CVE-2020-3446

The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 9.8 (Critical) with high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-3446

This section provides more in-depth technical insights into the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The affected software contains user accounts with default, static passwords, enabling unauthorized access to the NFVIS CLI.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS)
Vendor: Cisco
Versions: Not applicable (n/a)

Exploitation Mechanism

Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2020-3446 is crucial to prevent unauthorized access and potential security breaches.

Immediate Steps to Take

Change default passwords on affected devices immediately.
Implement strong, unique passwords for all user accounts.
Monitor and restrict access to the NFVIS CLI.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch software to address security vulnerabilities.
Conduct security audits and assessments to identify and mitigate potential risks.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches and updates provided by Cisco to address the vulnerability.