CVE-2023-20238
Published: 06 September 2023
Summary
CVE-2023-20238 is a critical-severity Improper Authentication (CWE-287) vulnerability in Cisco Broadworks Xtended Services Platform. Its CVSS base score is 10.0 (Critical).
Operationally, ranked in the top 2.3% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
Deeper analysis
A vulnerability in the single sign-on implementation of Cisco BroadWorks Application Delivery Platform and Cisco BroadWorks Xtended Services Platform allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to forge SSO credentials. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of SSO tokens (CWE-287) and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 10.0. Successful exploitation requires only a valid user ID associated with an affected system.
An attacker can authenticate using forged credentials to gain access at the privilege level of the targeted account. This enables toll fraud, command execution, viewing of confidential information, or modification of customer and user settings when an administrator account is impersonated.
The Cisco Security Advisory cisco-sa-bw-auth-bypass-kCggMWhX provides official details on the issue. The EPSS score has reached a peak and current value of 0.4660.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-24417
Vulnerability details
A vulnerability in the single sign-on (SSO) implementation of Cisco BroadWorks Application Delivery Platform and Cisco BroadWorks Xtended Services Platform could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to forge the credentials required to access an affected system. This vulnerability is due…
more
to the method used to validate SSO tokens. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the application with forged credentials. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to commit toll fraud or to execute commands at the privilege level of the forged account. If that account is an Administrator account, the attacker would have the ability to view confidential information, modify customer settings, or modify settings for other users. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need a valid user ID that is associated with an affected Cisco BroadWorks system.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Detects unauthorized successful logons resulting from improper authentication implementations.
Documented procedures ensure personnel are trained on authentication mechanisms, tangibly lowering the risk of improper authentication being exploited.
Security awareness training instructs users on secure authentication practices and avoiding credential compromise.
Training on authentication mechanisms and best practices decreases the occurrence of improper authentication.
Non-repudiation requires strong authentication mechanisms to irrefutably attribute performed actions to specific individuals or processes.
Session content review can reveal authentication bypasses or failures in session establishment.
Review of authentication-related audit records can detect improper authentication mechanisms or bypasses.
Assessments check authentication mechanisms for correct implementation and effectiveness, reducing successful authentication bypass attempts.