Summary

• A vulnerability in the management web interface of Cisco Network Assurance Engine (NAE) could allow an unauthenticated, local attacker to gain unauthorized access or cause a Denial of Service (DoS) condition on the server.

  The vulnerability is due to a fault in the password management system of NAE. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating with the default administrator password via the CLI of an affected server. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to view potentially sensitive information or bring the server down, causing a DoS condition.

  Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are workarounds that address this vulnerability.

  This advisory is available at the following link:
  https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20190212-nae-dos

Affected Products

• Vulnerable Products

  This vulnerability affects Cisco Network Assurance Engine (NAE) Release 3.0(1). The default password condition only affects new installations of Release 3.0(1).

  Determining the NAE Software Release

  To determine the software release that is running on the server, administrators can log in to the web interface using the http(s)://<system-ip> access URL and navigate to the Gear > About Network Assurance Engine screen. The release information is displayed as follows:

  Cisco Network Assurance Engine
        Version 3.0(1)
  

  Products Confirmed Not Vulnerable

  Only products listed in the Vulnerable Products section of this advisory are known to be affected by this vulnerability.

Details

• Customers upgrading from earlier versions will not be affected by this vulnerability. However, any user passwords changed from the web management interface in the affected release will not be propagated to the CLI. The old password, from before the change in the web management interface, would still be associated to the username in the CLI. See the Workarounds section for information on how to synchronize the passwords again.

Workarounds

• The default administrator password can be changed from the CLI by setting a new password with the passwd command. Customers wishing to implement this workaround should contact Cisco TAC (Technical Assistance Center) so the default password can be entered securely over a remote support session. This will need to be done for all nodes in the cluster.

Fixed Software

• Cisco has released free software updates that address the vulnerability described in this advisory. Customers may only install and expect support for software versions and feature sets for which they have purchased a license. By installing, downloading, accessing, or otherwise using such software upgrades, customers agree to follow the terms of the Cisco software license:
  https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/end-user-license-agreement.html

  Additionally, customers may only download software for which they have a valid license, procured from Cisco directly, or through a Cisco authorized reseller or partner. In most cases this will be a maintenance upgrade to software that was previously purchased. Free security software updates do not entitle customers to a new software license, additional software feature sets, or major revision upgrades.

  When considering software upgrades, customers are advised to regularly consult the advisories for Cisco products, which are available from the Cisco Security Advisories and Alerts page, to determine exposure and a complete upgrade solution.

  In all cases, customers should ensure that the devices to be upgraded contain sufficient memory and confirm that current hardware and software configurations will continue to be supported properly by the new release. If the information is not clear, customers are advised to contact the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) or their contracted maintenance providers.

  Customers Without Service Contracts

  Customers who purchase directly from Cisco but do not hold a Cisco service contract and customers who make purchases through third-party vendors but are unsuccessful in obtaining fixed software through their point of sale should obtain upgrades by contacting the Cisco TAC:
  https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/web/tsd-cisco-worldwide-contacts.html

  Customers should have the product serial number available and be prepared to provide the URL of this advisory as evidence of entitlement to a free upgrade.

  Fixed Releases

  This vulnerability is fixed in Cisco NAE Release 3.0(1a).

  To fix the vulnerability, the administrator password should be changed from the management web interface after upgrading to version 3.0(1a).

  Software Download

  Customers can download Cisco Network Assurance Software from the Software Center on Cisco.com by doing the following:

  • Click Browse all.
  • Navigate to Data Center Analytics > Network Assurance Engine.
  • Access Cisco NAE releases by using the left pane of the software downloads navigation.

Exploitation and Public Announcements

• The Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) is not aware of any public announcements or malicious use of the vulnerability that is described in this advisory.

Source

• This vulnerability was found during internal security testing.

URL

• https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20190212-nae-dos

Revision History

• Version	Description	Section	Status	Date
  1.0	Initial public release.	—	Final	2019-February-12

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