[c-nsp] Cisco Security Advisory: Cisco Security Agent Management Center LDAP Administrator Authentication Bypass

Wed Nov 1 11:15:00 EST 2006

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Cisco Security Advisory: Cisco Security Agent Management Center LDAP
Administrator Authentication Bypass

Advisory ID: cisco-sa-20061101-csamc

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20061101-csamc.shtml

Revision 1.0

For Public Release 2006 November 01 1600 UTC (GMT)

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Summary
=======

Cisco Security Agent Management Center (CSAMC) contains an
administrator authentication bypass vulnerability when configured to
use an external Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server
for authentication.

There is a workaround for this vulnerability. Cisco has made free
software available to address this vulnerability for affected
customers.

This advisory is posted at
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20061101-csamc.shtml

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

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

CSAMC version 5.1 prior to Hotfix 5.1.0.79 is affected by this
vulnerability.

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

CSAMC versions prior to 5.1 are not affected by this vulnerability.

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

Details
=======

Cisco Security Agent Management Center (CSAMC) version 5.1 contains
an administrator authentication bypass vulnerability when configured
to authenticate administrators against an external LDAP server.

There are three roles for CSAMC administrators: configure, deploy,
and monitor. The configure role has complete access to the CSAMC
application, including the ability to create security policies. The
deploy role can create agent kits, deploy security policies, and
perform application monitoring. The deploy role cannot modify
security policies. The monitoring role can only perform application
monitoring functions.

All CSAMC administrator accounts are defined in the local CSAMC
database and have an assigned role. CSAMC can be configured to use an
external LDAP server to authenticate administrators. As a safety
feature, it is possible to specify certain administrator accounts to
fall back to local authentication if the LDAP server is unavailable.

If CSAMC is configured to use LDAP for authentication, it is possible
to supply a valid administrator username and blank (zero length)
password and gain administrative access to the CSAMC application with
the role privileges of the administrator. This vulnerability occurs
when CSAMC incorrectly handles an authentication failure message from
the LDAP server. The administrator password stored on the LDAP server
is a valid, non-blank password.

CSAMC version 5.1 is the first to include external LDAP
authentication. LDAP authentication is not the default configuration
for CSAMC and must be explicitly configured. The LDAP server in this
configuration is not built into CSAMC.

Information on configuring administrator LDAP authentication for
CSAMC can be found here:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/secursw/ps5057/products_configuration_guide_chapter09186a008066e98e.html#wp994975

Information on configuring role-based administration for CSAMC can be
found here:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/secursw/ps5057/products_configuration_guide_chapter09186a008066e98e.html#wp965432

This vulnerability is documented in Cisco Bug ID CSCsg40822

Impact
======

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability allows an attacker with
a valid administrator username to gain access to the CSAMC
application with the role privileges of the compromised administrator
account. If the administrator has a role of configure or deploy, it
is possible to make policy changes for managed CSA clients. This may
be leveraged to reduce the security posture of managed systems and
allow potential attacks against the managed systems.

Software Version and Fixes
===========================

When considering software upgrades, also consult
http://www.cisco.com/go/psirt and any subsequent advisories to
determine exposure and a complete upgrade solution.

In all cases, customers should exercise caution to be certain the
devices to be upgraded contain sufficient memory and that current
hardware and software configurations will continue to be supported
properly by the new release. If the information is not clear, contact
the Cisco Technical Assistance Center ("TAC") or your contracted
maintenance provider for assistance.

+---------------------------------------+
|  Affected Software  | Fixed Software  |
|       Version       |     Version     |
|---------------------+-----------------|
| CSAMC version 5.1   | CSAMC version   |
| Hotfix prior to     | 5.1 Hotfix      |
| 5.1.0.79            | 5.1.0.79        |
+---------------------------------------+

Fixed CSAMC (fcs-csamc-hotfix-5.1.0.79-w2k-k9.zip) software can be
downloaded at
http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/csahf-crypto?psrtdcat20e2

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

It is possible to workaround this vulnerability by disabling external
LDAP authentication and configuring administrators to authenticate
against the local CSAMC database.

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

Cisco will make free software available to address this vulnerability
for affected customers. This advisory will be updated as fixed
software becomes available. Prior to deploying software, customers
should consult their maintenance provider or check the software for
feature set compatibility and known issues specific to their
environment.

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.

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

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 guidance and assistance
with the appropriate course of action in regards to this advisory.

The effectiveness of any workaround or fix is dependent on specific
customer situations such as product mix, network topology, traffic
behavior, and organizational mission. Due to the variety of affected
products and releases, customers should consult with their service
provider or support organization to ensure any applied workaround or
fix is the most appropriate for use in the intended network before it
is deployed.

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

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.

Refer to 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.

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

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

This vulnerability was reported to Cisco by a third party.

Status of this Notice: FINAL
============================

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

A stand-alone copy or Paraphrase of the text of this document 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 is posted on Cisco's worldwide website at :

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/cisco-sa-20061101-csamc.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
  * bugtraq at securityfocus.com
  * vulnwatch at vulnwatch.org
  * 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 |                  | Initial  |
| 1.0      | 2006-November-01 | 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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