Full Report
Affected devices include Cisco 800 Series industrial routers and Cisco 1000 Series Connected Grid Routers (CGR 1000)
Analysis Summary
# Vulnerability: Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software IOX Local Privilege Escalation
## CVE Details
- **CVE ID:** CVE-2019-12648
- **CVSS Score:** 9.9 (Critical)
- **CWE:** CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)
## Affected Systems
- **Products:**
- Cisco 800 Series Industrial Integrated Services Routers (IR800)
- Cisco 1000 Series Connected Grid Routers (CGR1000)
- **Versions:** Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software (Specific releases depend on hardware platform).
- **Configurations:** Systems are only vulnerable if the **Cisco Application Framework (IOx)** is configured and enabled.
## Vulnerability Description
The vulnerability exists in the Cisco Application Framework (IOx) component of Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software. It is caused by insufficient authentication mechanisms in the management API. An attacker can exploit this by sending a specially crafted HTTP request to the IOx API. Successful exploitation allows a remote attacker to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary commands with administrative privileges within the IOx guest operating system.
## Exploitation
- **Status:** Not exploited in the wild (at time of report); however, the technical details are well-understood.
- **Complexity:** Low
- **Attack Vector:** Network (Remote)
## Impact
- **Confidentiality:** High (Total compromise of IOx container data)
- **Integrity:** High (Ability to modify configurations and system files)
- **Availability:** High (Ability to shut down services or cause device instability)
## Remediation
### Patches
Cisco has released software updates to address this vulnerability. Users are advised to migrate to the following versions or later:
- For IR800: Consult Cisco Software Center for the latest IOS release (typically 15.8 or higher).
- For CGR1000: Consult Cisco Software Center for the latest IOS release.
### Workarounds
- **Disable IOx:** If the application framework is not required for business operations, disable it using the global configuration command: `no iox`.
- **Access Control Lists (ACLs):** Implement infrastructure ACLs to restrict access to the device management interfaces and the IOx API ports (typically HTTP/HTTPS) to trusted administrative networks only.
## Detection
- **Indicators of Compromise:** Monitor accounting logs for unexpected administrative access to the IOx framework or unauthorized application installations.
- **Detection Methods:**
- Verify if IOx is active: Use the command `show iox-service`.
- Use vulnerability scanners to check for the specific IOS/IOS XE software version.
## References
- **Vendor Advisory:** hxxps[://]tools[.]cisco[.]com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20190925-iox-auth-bypass
- **Kaspersky ICS CERT:** hxxps[://]ics-cert[.]kaspersky[.]com/publications/vulnerability-reports/2019/10/01/vulnerability-in-cisco-ios-and-ios-xe-affecting-industrial-routers/