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Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference

CVE-2023-20030

Severity Medium
Score 6/10

Summary

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to access sensitive information, conduct a server-side request forgery (SSRF) attack through an affected device, or negatively impact the responsiveness of the web-based management interface itself. This vulnerability is due to improper handling of XML External Entity (XXE) entries when parsing certain XML files. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by uploading a crafted XML file that contains references to external entities. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to retrieve files from the local system, resulting in the disclosure of confidential information. A successful exploit could also cause the web application to perform arbitrary HTTP requests on behalf of the attacker or consume memory resources to reduce the availability of the web-based management interface. To successfully exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need valid Super Admin or Policy Admin credentials.

  • LOW
  • NETWORK
  • LOW
  • UNCHANGED
  • NONE
  • HIGH
  • HIGH
  • LOW

CWE-611 - Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference

Listed 4th in the 'OWASP Top Ten', XML External Entities (XXE) vulnerability allows attackers to provide an XML input that contains an external entity. When the XML is parsed, it can cause data extraction and manipulation, execution of commands, denial-of-service attacks, and server-side request forgery.

References

Advisory Timeline

  • Published