Skip to main content

Improper Certificate Validation

CVE-2021-1277

Severity High
Score 7.5/10

Summary

Multiple vulnerabilities in Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) could allow an attacker to spoof a trusted host or construct a man-in-the-middle attack to extract sensitive information or alter certain API requests. These vulnerabilities are due to insufficient certificate validation when establishing HTTPS requests with the affected device. For more information about these vulnerabilities, see the Details section of this advisory.

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

CWE-295 - Improper Certificate Validation

The authenticity component of a web system stems from the ability to validate “Digital certificates”, which (i) establish trust between two or more entities sharing data over a network; (ii) ensure data at rest and transit is secure from unauthorized access; and (iii) check the identity of the actors that interact with the system. An application with absent or ineffective certificate validation mechanisms allows malicious users, impersonating trusted hosts, to manipulate the communication path between the client and the host, resulting in unauthorized access to data and to the application’s internal environment, and potentially enabling man-in-the-middle attacks.

References

Advisory Timeline

  • Published