Cisco Digital Network Architecture Center Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

Vulnerability

An authentication bypass vulnerability exists in the identity management service of Cisco Digital Network Architecture (DNA) Center. The flaw is due to insufficient security restrictions for critical management functions. An attacker can send a valid identity management request to trigger the bypass. This affects Cisco DNA Center software prior to the fixed releases mentioned in the advisory [1].

Exploitation

An unauthenticated, remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted identity management request to the affected system. No prior authentication or special network position is required, making the attack surface broad. The attacker simply needs network access to the Cisco DNA Center management interface.

Impact

Successful exploitation allows the attacker to bypass authentication and gain complete control over identity management functions. This includes the ability to view, modify, or create new system users, potentially leading to full administrative compromise of the Cisco DNA Center deployment [1].

Mitigation

Cisco has released free software updates to address this vulnerability. The fixed version details are provided in the Cisco Security Advisory [1]. Customers should upgrade to the patched release as soon as possible. No workarounds are mentioned in the available reference. There is no indication that this CVE is listed in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.