A vulnerability in the out of band (OOB) management interface IP table rule programming for Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass configured deny entries for specific IP ports. These IP ports would be permitted to the OOB management interface when, in fact, the packets should be dropped. The vulnerability is due to the configuration of specific IP table entries for which there is a programming logic error that results in the IP port being permitted. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending traffic to the OOB management interface on the targeted device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass configured IP table rules to drop specific IP port traffic. The attacker has no control over the configuration of the device itself. Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability. This advisory is available at the following link: https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iptable-bypass-GxW88XjL
A vulnerability in the out of band (OOB) management interface IP table rule programming for Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass configured deny entries for specific IP ports. These IP ports would be permitted to the OOB management interface when, in fact, the packets should be dropped.
The vulnerability is due to the configuration of specific IP table entries for which there is a programming logic error that results in the IP port being permitted. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending traffic to the OOB management interface on the targeted device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass configured IP table rules to drop specific IP port traffic. The attacker has no control over the configuration of the device itself.
Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.
This advisory is available at the following link:
https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iptable-bypass-GxW88XjL
At the time of publication, this vulnerability affected Cisco APIC releases prior to the first fixed software Release 4.2(3j).
See the Details section in the bug ID(s) at the top of this advisory for the most complete and current information.
Only products listed in the Vulnerable Products section of this advisory are known to be affected by this vulnerability.
Cisco has confirmed that this vulnerability does not affect Nexus 9000 Series Fabric Switches in Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) mode.
The result of this vulnerability is that the UI CLI command acidiag run iptables-list will show that the IP port number is configured for deny but that configuration setting was not actually properly programmed.
For additional information on how to secure the OOB management interface, see Securing Management Access.
There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.
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.
At the time of publication, Cisco APIC Release 4.2(3j) and later contained the fix for this vulnerability.
See the Details section in the bug ID(s) at the top of this advisory for the most complete and current information.
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.
This vulnerability was found during the resolution of a Cisco TAC support case.
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.
| Version | Description | Section | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Initial public release. | - | Final | 2020-JAN-22 |
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