Cisco IMC Vulnerability Attackers to Access Internal Services with Elevated Privileges
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A significant vulnerability in Cisco’s Integrated Management Controller (IMC) that allows malicious actors to gain elevated privileges and access internal services without proper authorization.
This vulnerability poses substantial risks to enterprise networks relying on Cisco’s server management infrastructure, potentially enabling attackers to compromise critical systems and sensitive data.
Cisco IMC Privilege Escalation Flaw
The Cisco IMC vulnerability (CVE-2025-20261), classified as a privilege escalation flaw, exploits weaknesses in the authentication and authorization mechanisms within the management controller’s web interface.
Attackers can leverage improper input validation and insufficient access controls to bypass security restrictions and execute commands with administrative privileges.
The vulnerability affects the RESTful API endpoints used for system configuration and monitoring, allowing unauthorized users to manipulate server settings and access restricted functionalities.
Technical analysis reveals that the exploit targets the /redfish/v1/ API endpoints, where insufficient session validation enables attackers to escalate their privileges through crafted HTTP requests.
The vulnerability manifests when the IMC fails to properly validate user credentials against role-based access control (RBAC) policies, particularly in scenarios involving JSON Web Token (JWT) manipulation and session hijacking techniques.
The exploitation of this vulnerability can have far-reaching consequences for organizations using affected Cisco IMC systems.
Attackers gaining elevated privileges can access the Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) functionalities, enabling them to modify BIOS settings, access out-of-band management interfaces, and potentially install persistent firmware-level malware.
This level of access bypasses traditional security controls and can provide attackers with a foothold for lateral movement across the network infrastructure.
The vulnerability particularly threatens data center environments where Cisco UCS (Unified Computing System) servers are deployed.
Attackers exploiting this flaw can access the Cisco Integrated Management Controller’s IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) functions, allowing them to monitor system health, access virtual media services, and potentially intercept sensitive data transmitted through the management network.
Risk Factors Details Affected ProductsCisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC)(including Cisco UCS C-Series and Cisco UCS S-Series)ImpactRemote attackers to gain elevated (admin) privilegesExploit Prerequisites– Network access to the IMC management interface- No prior authentication required (can be exploited remotely under specific configurations)CVSS 3.1 Score9.8 (Critical)
Mitigation Strategies
Organizations utilizing affected Cisco IMC systems should immediately implement comprehensive security measures to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability.
Primary mitigation involves updating to the latest firmware versions that address the authentication bypass and privilege escalation flaws.
Network administrators should configure proper network segmentation to isolate management interfaces from production networks and implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all administrative access.
Additional security hardening measures include disabling unnecessary services on the IMC interface, implementing strict firewall rules to restrict access to TCP ports 80, 443, and 623 (used for IPMI over LAN), and regularly auditing user accounts with administrative privileges.
Organizations should also monitor for suspicious activities in their Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, particularly focusing on unusual API calls to /api/ endpoints and unauthorized access attempts to the web-based management interface.
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Cisco IMC Vulnerability Attackers to Access Internal Services with Elevated Privileges
Author: KaaviyaA significant vulnerability in Cisco’s Integrated Management Controller (IMC) that allows malicious actors to gain elevated privileges and access internal services without proper authorization.
This vulnerability poses substantial risks to enterprise networks relying on Cisco’s server management infrastructure, potentially enabling attackers to compromise critical systems and sensitive data.
Cisco IMC Privilege Escalation Flaw
The Cisco IMC vulnerability (CVE-2025-20261), classified as a privilege escalation flaw, exploits weaknesses in the authentication and authorization mechanisms within the management controller’s web interface.
Attackers can leverage improper input validation and insufficient access controls to bypass security restrictions and execute commands with administrative privileges.
The vulnerability affects the RESTful API endpoints used for system configuration and monitoring, allowing unauthorized users to manipulate server settings and access restricted functionalities.
Technical analysis reveals that the exploit targets the /redfish/v1/ API endpoints, where insufficient session validation enables attackers to escalate their privileges through crafted HTTP requests.
The vulnerability manifests when the IMC fails to properly validate user credentials against role-based access control (RBAC) policies, particularly in scenarios involving JSON Web Token (JWT) manipulation and session hijacking techniques.
The exploitation of this vulnerability can have far-reaching consequences for organizations using affected Cisco IMC systems.
Attackers gaining elevated privileges can access the Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) functionalities, enabling them to modify BIOS settings, access out-of-band management interfaces, and potentially install persistent firmware-level malware.
This level of access bypasses traditional security controls and can provide attackers with a foothold for lateral movement across the network infrastructure.
The vulnerability particularly threatens data center environments where Cisco UCS (Unified Computing System) servers are deployed.
Attackers exploiting this flaw can access the Cisco Integrated Management Controller’s IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) functions, allowing them to monitor system health, access virtual media services, and potentially intercept sensitive data transmitted through the management network.
Risk Factors Details Affected ProductsCisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC)(including Cisco UCS C-Series and Cisco UCS S-Series)ImpactRemote attackers to gain elevated (admin) privilegesExploit Prerequisites– Network access to the IMC management interface- No prior authentication required (can be exploited remotely under specific configurations)CVSS 3.1 Score9.8 (Critical)
Mitigation Strategies
Organizations utilizing affected Cisco IMC systems should immediately implement comprehensive security measures to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability.
Primary mitigation involves updating to the latest firmware versions that address the authentication bypass and privilege escalation flaws.
Network administrators should configure proper network segmentation to isolate management interfaces from production networks and implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all administrative access.
Additional security hardening measures include disabling unnecessary services on the IMC interface, implementing strict firewall rules to restrict access to TCP ports 80, 443, and 623 (used for IPMI over LAN), and regularly auditing user accounts with administrative privileges.
Organizations should also monitor for suspicious activities in their Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, particularly focusing on unusual API calls to /api/ endpoints and unauthorized access attempts to the web-based management interface.
#Cyber_Security #Cyber_Security_News #Vulnerability #cyber_security #cyber_security_news #vulnerability
Оригинальная версия на сайте:
