Cisco IOS XE Software Vulnerabilities Let Hackers Gain Root Access in Cisco Devices

Cisco released a security update for multiple vulnerabilities that affected Cisco IOS XE Software web-based user interface (Web UI) that allows a remote attacker to execute commands with elevated privileges on the vulnerable system.

Cisco IOS XE Software is an internetworking operating system for enterprise networks and is using in several Cisco devices such as Some Cisco routers (such as ASR 1000) and some Catalyst switches (such as 3850).

This Vulnerable software running Cicso deployed in various Enterprise Networks, data centers, and smaller businesses and the potential attacker exploit the vulnerable devices remotely.

According to the Cisco update, These two ( CVE-2019-12650) ( CVE-2019-12651 ) vulnerabilities are not dependent on one another and the attacker no need to exploit one vulnerability to take over another vulnerability.

Both vulnerabilities affected Cisco devices that running vulnerable IOS XE Software release with the HTTP Server feature enabled.

Command Injection Vulnerabilities

A first vulnerability (CVE-2019-12651) with web-based user interface (Web UI) of Cisco IOS XE Software allows low privileged attackers possibly execute the arbitrary command on the vulnerable devices that running with Cisco IOS to elevate privileges.

Another vulnerability (CVE-2019-12650) that affected the web-based user interface (Web UI) due to improperly sanitizes user-supplied input of Cisco IOS XE Software allows remote attackers to execute commands on the underlying Linux shell of vulnerable devices and gain the root access.

According to the Cisco security update, Due to the improperly sanitizes user-supplied input in Cisco IOS, an attacker could exploit this vulnerabilities by supplying a crafted input parameter on a form in the Web UI and then submitting that form.

Customers recommended to disabling the HTTP Server feature eliminates the attack vector for these vulnerabilities until upgrade the system and apply the patch released by Cisco.

Following command will help to check and shows the output will confirm that it has the HTTP Server feature enabled.

Router# show running-config | include ip http server|secure-server
ip http server
ip http secure-server

If you find the presence of either command indicate that the HTTP Server feature is enabled.

If both http server and http-secure server are in use, then both commands are required to disable the HTTP Server feature.

In this case, Cisco adviced to using the following command in global configuration mode. no ip http server or no ip http secure-server.

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