Cisco Security Advisory-
Cisco Network Registrar Software Releases prior to 7.2 contain a default password for the administrative account. During the initial installation, users are not forced to change this password, allowing it to persist after the installation. An attacker who is aware of this vulnerability could authenticate with administrative privileges and arbitrarily change the configuration of Cisco Network Registrar.
The upgrade to Software Release 7.2 is not free; however, a workaround is provided in this document that will prevent exploitation of the vulnerability.
When performing an upgrade to Software Release 7.2, you must use the workaround to change the password of the administrative account. You will be prompted to enter a new administrator's password only if you are performing a new installation of Software Release 7.2 of Cisco Network Registrar.
The workaround for this vulnerability is to change the password associated with the administrative account using the method described in the "Workarounds" section.
This advisory is posted at https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20110601-cnr.
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Vulnerable Products
This vulnerability affects all releases of Cisco Network Registrar prior to Software Release 7.2. The vulnerability is present in the affected releases on all platforms.
To verify the release of Cisco Network Registrar that is running, select the About option from the menu. Alternatively, if using the command-line interface, execute the following command:
nrcmd> session get version
Products Confirmed Not Vulnerable
No other Cisco products are currently known to be affected by this vulnerability.
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Cisco Network Registrar provides highly scalable and reliable DNS, DHCP, and TFTP services. The central management capabilities of Cisco Network Registrar simplify administrative tasks associated with network and device configuration.
Cisco Network Registrar contains a default password for the administrative account. An attacker could use this knowledge to authenticate with administrative privileges and arbitrarily change the configuration of Cisco Network Registrar. This vulnerability is documented in Cisco bug ID CSCsm50627 ( registered customers only) and has been assigned the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) identifier CVE-2011-2024.
Additionally, it is a good practice to change passwords periodically. The interval should comply with an organization's security policy but, as a guideline, passwords should be changed two to three times a year. This practice applies equally to all products regardless of when they are installed and to all users, administrators and non-administrators.
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The provided workaround changes the password that is associated with the administrator's account. To change the password using the web interface, select Advanced -> Administrators -> Admin from the menu.
Execute the following command to change the administrator's password using the command-line interface:
admin <admin-name> enterPassword
Additionally, access to Cisco Network Registrar (TCP ports 8080, 8090, 8443, and 8453) and the host on which it is running should be limited to legitimate IP addresses. Consult the documentation of the host operating system for further details how to accomplish this task.
The use of IP addresses as a form of authentication is a well-established network security practice. For more guidance on the use of access control lists (ACLs) or the explicit identification of network management stations in devices and applications, reference the white paper A Security-Oriented Approach to IP Addressing at the following link: http://www.cisco.com/web/about/security/intelligence/security-for-ip-addr.html.
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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.
This vulnerability is fixed in Software Release 7.2. All releases of Cisco Network Registrar prior to 7.2 will not force users to change the administrative password during the initial installation.
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The Cisco PSIRT is not aware of any public announcements or malicious use of the vulnerability described in this advisory.
This vulnerability was discovered during an internal review.
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To learn about Cisco security vulnerability disclosure policies and publications, see the Security Vulnerability Policy. This document also contains instructions for obtaining fixed software and receiving security vulnerability information from Cisco.
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Show LessRevision 1.0
2001-06-01
Initial public release
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