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Cisco Secure Access Control Server NDS User Authentication Vulnerability

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[CIAC] INFORMATION BULLETIN

M-038: Cisco Secure Access Control Server NDS User Authentication
Vulnerability

[Cisco Security Advisory]

February 7, 2002 21:00 GMT
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 PROBLEM:           Cisco Secure Authentication Control Server (ACS)
                    allows authentication of users that have been
                    explicitly disabled or expired in the Novell Directory
                    Services (NDS).
 PLATFORM:          Only Cisco Secure ACS version 3.0.1, configured for
                    NDS, is affected.
 DAMAGE:            This vulnerability results in a failure to adequately
                    enforce authentication criteria, and users that should
                    be prevented from using services are permitted to
                    authenticate, regardless of their status in the NDS
                    server.
 SOLUTION:          CiscoSecure ACS for Windows NT Server version 3.0.1 is
                    vulnerable and can be patched. Please review the
                    Workarounds section of this notice for detailed patch
                    installation instructions.
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 VULNERABILITY      The risk is MEDIUM. The Cisco PSIRT is not aware of
 ASSESSMENT:        any public announcements or malicious use of the
                    vulnerability described in this advisory.
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

 LINKS:
   CIAC    http://www.ciac.org/ciac/bulletins/m-038.shtml
 BULLETIN:
   ORIGINALhttp://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/ciscosecure-acs-nds-authentication-vuln-pub.shtml
 BULLETIN:
   PATCHES:http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/cs-acs-win
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

[***** Start Cisco Security Advisory *****]

Cisco Security Advisory:  Cisco Secure Access Control Server Novell Directory
Service Expired/Disabled User Authentication Vulnerability

Revision 1.0

For Public Release 2002 February 07 08:00 (UTC -0800)

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Please provide your feedback on this document.

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Summary

Specific versions of Cisco Secure Authentication Control Server (ACS) allows
authentication of users that have been explicitly disabled or expired in the
Novell Directory Services (NDS).  There is a software patch that may be applied,
and software upgrades will also address this problem.

The complete notice will be available at http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/ciscosecure-acs-nds-authentication-vuln-pub.shtml.

Affected Products

Only Cisco Secure ACS version 3.0.1, configured for NDS, is affected.

No other Cisco products are affected by this vulnerability.

The following are NOT affected by this vulnerability:

   * Systems with Cisco Secure ACS for Windows NT version 2.6 and 2.5 and earlier
   * Cisco Secure ACS version 3.0.1 that is NOT configured for use with NDS
   * Cisco Secure ACS for UNIX

Details

To determine if your Cisco Secure ACS for Windows NT server is configured for
NDS, please review the "External User Databases/Unknown User Policy" on the
Administration interface.  If the name of your NDS configuration appears in
the "Selected Databases" list, then you are using NDS for authentication and
are affected by this vulnerability if you are running version 3.0.1.

Users who are marked as "expired" or "disabled" on the NDS database will still
authenticate if their credentials are otherwise correct.  The file
"NDSAuth.DLL" is a module which allows ACS authentication to be handled by an
external NDS server. Versions of this file with the date 2001-Dec-15 ignore the
"Disabled" or "Expired" state of these users on NDS.  Authentication attempts
by users with a Disabled or Expired status on the NDS server should be refused,
but are permitted due to this vulnerability.

This vulnerability is documented in Cisco Bug ID CSCdw46931.

CSCdw46931
    DEL/ACS authenticates NDS expired/disabled users.

Impact

This vulnerability results in a failure to adequately enforce authentication
criteria, and users that should be prevented from using services are permitted
to authenticate, regardless of their status in the NDS server.

Software Versions and Fixes

CiscoSecure ACS for Windows NT Server version 3.0.1 is vulnerable and can be
patched.  Future versions of the software will include this patch.  Please
review the Workarounds section of this notice for detailed patch installation
instructions.

The patch for this vulnerability can be downloaded from the following location
if you are logged in with a valid CCO user account:
http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/cs-acs-win.

Obtaining Fixed Software

Customers with contracts should obtain upgraded software through their regular
update channels. For most customers, this means that upgrades should be obtained
through the Software Center on Cisco's Worldwide Web site at
http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/cs-acs-win.

Customers whose Cisco products are provided or maintained through prior or
existing agreement with third-party support organizations such as Cisco Partners,
authorized resellers, or service providers should contact that support organization
for assistance with the upgrade or patch, which should be free of charge.

Customers who purchase direct from Cisco but who do not hold a Cisco service contract
and customers who purchase through third party vendors but are unsuccessful at
obtaining fixed software through their point of sale should get their upgrades by
contacting the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC). TAC contacts are as
follows: +1 800 553 2447 (toll-free from within North America) +1 408 526 7209
(toll call from anywhere in the world) or by email: tac@cisco.com.

Please give the URL of this notice as evidence of your entitlement to a software
patch. Free software patches for non-contract customers must be requested
through the TAC.

Please do not contact either "psirt@cisco.com" or "security-alert@cisco.com"
for software upgrades or patches.

Workarounds

If you are unable to install the patch, user records that are "disabled" or
"expired" in your NDS database should be temporarily removed until they are
either valid again or the patch has been installed.

Install the patch according to the following directions:

1. Stop both "CSAUTH" and "CSAdmin" services by entering the following at the
command prompt:

   net stop CSAuth
   net stop CSAdmin

2. Locate the /Authenticators directory. For a default installation
on the C:\ drive, the location will be the following:
C:\Program Files\CiscoSecure ACS v3.0\Authenticators\NDSAuth.dll.

3. Rename the original NDSAuth.dll to something else (NDSAuth_old.dll, for example)
to save it.

4. Replace the original NDSAuth.dll file with the patch file in its place.

5. Restart the services by entering the following at the command prompt:

   net start CSAuth
   net start CSAdmin

The patch is a single file (ACS30_NDSAuth_patch.zip) and can be downloaded at
the following location if you are logged in with a valid CCO user account:
http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/cs-acs-win.

Exploitation and Public Announcements

This vulnerability was discovered by internal Quality Assurance.

The Cisco PSIRT is not aware of any public announcements or malicious use of the
vulnerability described in this advisory.

Status of This Notice: FINAL

This is a final notice. Although Cisco cannot guarantee the accuracy of all
statements in this notice, all of the facts have been checked to the best of our
ability. Cisco does not anticipate issuing updated versions of this notice unless
there is some material change in the facts. Should there be a significant change
in the facts, Cisco may update this notice.

A standalone copy or paraphrase of the text of this security advisory that omits
the distribution URL in the following section is an uncontrolled copy, and may
lack important information or contain factual errors.

Distribution

This notice will be posted on Cisco's Worldwide Web site at
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/ciscosecure-acs-nds-authentication-vuln-pub.shtml.
In addition to Worldwide Web posting, a text version of this notice is clear-signed
with the Cisco PSIRT PGP key and is posted to the following e-mail and Usenet news
recipients:

   * cust-security-announce@cisco.com
   * bugtraq@securityfocus.com
   * first-teams@first.org (includes CERT/CC)
   * cisco@spot.colorado.edu
   * comp.dcom.sys.cisco
   * firewalls@lists.gnac.com
   * Various internal Cisco mailing lists

Future updates of this notice, if any, will be placed on Cisco's Worldwide Web
server, but may or may not be actively announced on mailing lists or newsgroups.
Users concerned about this problem are encouraged to check the URL given above
for any updates.

Revision History

Revision Number 1.0      2002-Feb-07 08:00 GMT-0800       Initial public release

Cisco Security Procedures

Complete information on reporting security vulnerabilities in Cisco products,
obtaining assistance with security incidents, and registering to receive security
information from Cisco, is available on Cisco's Worldwide Web site at
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/707/sec_incident_response.shtml. This includes
instructions for press inquiries regarding Cisco security notices. All Cisco
Security Advisories are available at http://www.cisco.com/go/psirt.

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This notice is Copyright 2002 by Cisco Systems, Inc. This notice may be redistributed
freely after the release date given at the top of the text, provided that
redistributed copies are complete and unmodified, and include all date and version
information.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All contents are Copyright © 1992--2002 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Important Notices and Privacy Statement.
[***** End Cisco Security Advisory *****]

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
CIAC wishes to acknowledge the contributions of Cisco Systems, Inc. for the
information contained in this bulletin.
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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be contacted at:

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    E-mail:          ciac@llnl.gov
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                     http://ciac.llnl.gov
                     (same machine -- either one will work)
    Anonymous FTP:   ftp.ciac.org
                     ciac.llnl.gov
                     (same machine -- either one will work)

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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