[c-nsp] Cisco Security Advisory: SSL Certificate Validation Vulnerability in IDS Management Software

Mon Aug 22 13:00:00 EDT 2005

CiscoWorks Management Center for IDS Sensors (IDSMC) is a network
security software agent that provides configuration and signature
management for Cisco Intrusion Detection and Intrusion Prevention
systems.

A separate but closely related product, Monitoring Center for Security
(Security Monitor or Secmon), provides event collection, viewing, and
reporting capability for network devices.

A malicious attacker may be able to spoof a Cisco Intrusion Detection
Sensor (IDS), or Cisco Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) by exploiting
a vulnerability in the SSL certificate checking functionality in IDSMC
and Secmon.

Cisco has made free software available to address this vulnerability.

This advisory is available at 
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20050824-idsmc.shtml

Affected Products
=================

Vulnerable Products
+------------------

  * IDSMC version 2.0 and version 2.1.
  * CiscoWorks Monitoring Center for Security (Security Monitor or
    Secmon) version 1.1 through version 2.0 and version 2.1.

Products Confirmed Not Vulnerable
+--------------------------------

  * IDSMC versions 1.0 thru 1.2
  * CiscoWorks Monitoring Center for Security (Security Monitor or
    Secmon) version 1.0

No other Cisco products are currently known to be affected by
vulnerability.

Details
=======

A malicious attacker may be able to spoof an IDS or IPS by exploiting a
vulnerability in the SSL certificate checking functionality in IDSMC
and Secmon.

SSL certificates are used to secure and authenticate IDS and IPS
sensors, thereby ensuring safe communication across your network.

This vulnerability is documented in the Cisco Bug Toolkit as Bug ID 
CSCsa50100 and CSCsb57379.

Impact
======

If exploited, the attacker may be able to gather login credentials,
submit false data to IDSMC and Secmon or filter legitimate data from
IDSMC and Secmon, thus impacting the integrity of the device and the
reporting capabilities of it.

Software Versions and Fixes
===========================

This issue is addressed in Service Pack 1 for IPSMC 2.1 and Security
Monitor 2.1. This service pack is available for download at
http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/mgmt-ctr-ids-app

This service pack provides monitoring of certificate information and
provides logged messages when the certificate changes for any reason
for both IDSMC and Secmon.

In addition to logging certificate changes, this service pack allows
Secmon to optionally drop the connection should the certificate change.

Revision 2.2 of IPSMC will provide the option to drop the connection
between the sensor and IPSMC should the certificate change. This
release is anticipated to be available in late 2005.

Obtaining Fixed Software
========================

Customers with Service Contracts
+-------------------------------

Customers with contracts should obtain upgraded software through their
regular update channels. For most customers, this means that upgrades
should be obtained through the Software Center on Cisco's worldwide
website at http://www.cisco.com.

Customers using Third-party Support Organizations
+------------------------------------------------

Customers whose Cisco products are provided or maintained through prior
or existing agreement with third-party support organizations such as
Cisco Partners, authorized resellers, or service providers should
contact that support organization for assistance with the upgrade,
which should be free of charge.

Customers without Service Contracts
+----------------------------------

Customers who purchase direct from Cisco but who do not hold a Cisco
service contract and customers who purchase through third-party vendors
but are unsuccessful at obtaining fixed software through their point of
sale should get their upgrades by contacting the Cisco Technical
Assistance Center (TAC). TAC contacts are as follows.

  * +1 800 553 2447 (toll free from within North America)
  * +1 408 526 7209 (toll call from anywhere in the world)
  * e-mail: tac at cisco.com

Please have your product serial number available and give the URL of
this notice as evidence of your entitlement to a free upgrade. Free
upgrades for non-contract customers must be requested through the TAC.

Please do not contact either "psirt at cisco.com" or
"security-alert at cisco.com" for software upgrades.

See http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/687/Directory/DirTAC.shtml for
additional TAC contact information, including special localized
telephone numbers and instructions and e-mail addresses for use in
various languages.

Customers may only install and expect support for the feature sets they
have purchased. By installing, downloading, accessing or otherwise
using such software upgrades, customers agree to be bound by the terms
of Cisco's software license terms found at 
http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-license-agreement.html,
or as otherwise set forth at Cisco.com Downloads at
http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-center/sw-usingswc.shtml

Workarounds
===========

As a security best practice, you should always configure your IPS
device with a list of trusted hosts or networks that you want to have
access to the IPS sensor.

For more information on setting up IPS access lists so that only
trusted hosted and networks may access the sensor, please see
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/secursw/ps2113/products_configuration_guide_chapter09186a008045a77c.html#wp1031536

Exploitation and Public Announcements
=====================================

The Cisco PSIRT is not aware of any public announcements or malicious
use of the vulnerability described in this advisory.

Cisco would like to thank Jan Bervar at NIL Data Communications for
bringing this to our attention.

Status of This Notice: FINAL
============================

THIS ADVISORY IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS AND DOES NOT IMPLY ANY
KIND OF GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY, INCLUDING THE WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY. YOUR USE OF THE INFORMATION ON THE ADVISORY OR
MATERIALS LINKED FROM THE ADVISORY IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. CISCO RESERVES
THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OR UPDATE THIS NOTICE AT ANY TIME.

A stand-alone copy or paraphrase of the text of this security advisory
that omits the distribution URL in the following section is an
uncontrolled copy, and may lack important information or contain
factual errors.

Distribution
============

This advisory will be posted on Cisco's worldwide website at
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20050824-idsmc.shtml

In addition to worldwide web posting, a text version of this notice is
clear-signed with the Cisco PSIRT PGP key and is posted to the
following e-mail and Usenet news recipients.

  * cust-security-announce at cisco.com
  * first-teams at first.org (includes CERT/CC)
  * bugtraq at securityfocus.com
  * cisco at spot.colorado.edu
  * cisco-nsp at puck.nether.net
  * full-disclosure at lists.grok.org.uk
  * comp.dcom.sys.cisco at newsgate.cisco.com

Future updates of this advisory, if any, will be placed on Cisco's
worldwide website, but may or may not be actively announced on mailing
lists or newsgroups. Users concerned about this problem are encouraged
to check the above URL for any updates.

Revision History
================

+----------------------------------------+
| Revision | 2005-August | Initial       |
| 1.0      | 22          | public        |
|          |             | release.      |
+----------------------------------------+

Cisco Security Procedures
=========================

Complete information on reporting security vulnerabilities in Cisco
products, obtaining assistance with security incidents, and registering
to receive security information from Cisco, is available on Cisco's
worldwide website at 
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/products_security_vulnerability_policy.html 

This includes instructions for press inquiries regarding Cisco security
notices. All cisco security advisories are available at
http://www.cisco.com/go/psirt.

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