Date: Mon, 8 May 2006 18:44:38 -0400
From: "Greg owens" <gowens@...ad.net>
To: <mcerha@...co.com>, <bugtraq@...urityfocus.com>
Cc: <research@...antec.com>, <psirt@...co.com>
Subject: Re: SYMSA-2006-003: Cisco Secure ACS for Windows - AdministratorPassword Disclosure


Does this include the ACS appliance engine.

Greg Owens, CCNP CCSP CISSP
Email:gowens@...ad.net
--------------------------
Sent from my Samsung I730 Wireless Handheld



-----Original Message-----
   >From: "Matthew Cerha"<mcerha@...co.com>
   >Sent: 5/8/06 6:15:58 PM
   >To: "bugtraq@...urityfocus.com"<bugtraq@...urityfocus.com>
   >Cc: "research@...antec.com"<research@...antec.com>, "psirt (mailer list)"<psirt@...co.com>
   >Subject: Re: SYMSA-2006-003: Cisco Secure ACS for Windows - AdministratorPassword Disclosure
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   >Cisco Response
   >==============
   >
   >This is Cisco PSIRT's response to the statements made by Symantec in
   >its advisory: SYMSA-2006-003, posted on May 8, 2006.
   >
   >The original email/advisory is available at:
   >
   >http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/research/SYMSA-2006-003.txt
   >
   >This issue is being tracked by Cisco Bug ID:
   >
   >  * CSCsb67457 ( registered customers only) -- Cisco Secure ACS
   >    Administrator Password Remote Retrieval and Decryption.
   >
   >We would like to thank Andreas Junestam and Symantec for reporting
   >this vulnerability to us.
   >
   >We greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with researchers on
   >security vulnerabilities, and welcome the opportunity to review and
   >assist in product reports.
   >
   >Additional Information
   >======================
   >
   >Cisco Secure Access Control Server (ACS) provides centralized
   >identity management and policy enforcement for Cisco devices.
   >
   >CSCsb67457 ( registered customers only) -- Cisco Secure ACS
   >Administrator Password Remote Retrieval and Decryption.
   >
   >Symptom:
   >
   >A person with administrative access to the Windows registry of a
   >system running Cisco Secure ACS 3.x for Windows can decrypt the
   >passwords of all ACS administrators.
   >
   >Condition:
   >
   >Cisco Secure ACS 3.x for Windows stores the passwords of ACS
   >administrators in the Windows registry in an encrypted format. A
   >locally generated master key is used to encrypt/decrypt the ACS
   >administrator passwords. The master key is also stored in the Windows
   >registry in an encrypted format. Using Microsoft cryptographic
   >routines, it is possible for a user with administrative privileges to
   >a system running Cisco Secure ACS to obtain the clear-text version of
   >the master key. With the master key, the user can decrypt and obtain
   >the clear-text passwords for all ACS administrators. With
   >administrative credentials to Cisco Secure ACS, it is possible to
   >change the password for any locally defined users. This may be used
   >to gain access to network devices configured to use Cisco Secure ACS
   >for authentication.
   >
   >If remote registry access is enabled on a system running Cisco Secure
   >ACS, it is possible for a user with administrative privileges
   >(typically domain administrators) to exploit this vulnerability.
   >
   >If Cisco Secure ACS is configured to use an external authentication
   >service such as Windows Active Directory / Domains or LDAP, the
   >passwords for users stored by those services are not at risk to
   >compromise via this vulnerability.
   >
   >This vulnerability only affects version 3.x of Cisco Secure ACS for
   >Windows. Cisco Secure ACS for Windows 4.0.1 and Cisco Secure ACS for
   >UNIX are not vulnerable. Cisco Secure ACS 3.x appliances do not
   >permit local or remote Windows registry access and are not
   >vulnerable.
   >
   >Workaround:
   >
   >It is possible to mitigate this vulnerability by restricting access
   >to the registry key containing the ACS administrators' passwords. One
   >feature of Windows operating systems is the ability to modify the
   >permissions of a registry key to remove access even for local or
   >domain administrators. Using this feature, the registry key
   >containing the ACS administrators' passwords can be restricted to
   >only the Windows users with a need to maintain the ACS installation
   >or operate the ACS services.
   >
   >The following registry key and all of its sub-keys need to be
   >protected.
   >
   >HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Cisco\CiscoAAAv3.3\CSAdmin\Administrators
   >
   >Note: The "CiscoAAAv3.3" portion of the registry key path may differ
   >slightly depending on the version of Cisco Secure ACS for Windows
   >that is installed.
   >
   >There are two general deployment scenarios for Cisco Secure ACS. The
   >Windows users that need permissions to the registry key will depend
   >on the deployment type.
   >
   >  * If Cisco Secure ACS is not installed on a Windows domain
   >    controller, access to the registry key should be limited to only
   >    the local Windows SYSTEM account and specific local/domain
   >    administrators who will be performing software maintenance on the
   >    ACS installation.
   >  * If Cisco Secure ACS is installed on a Windows domain controller,
   >    access to the registry key should be limited to the domain
   >    account which ACS is configured to use for its services, the
   >    local Windows SYSTEM account and specific local / domain
   >    administrators who will be performing software maintenance on the
   >    ACS installation.
   >
   >For information about editing the Windows registry, please consult
   >the following Microsoft documentation.
   >
   >"Description of the Microsoft Windows registry":
   >
   >http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;25698
   >
   >Further mitigation against remote exploitation can be achieved by
   >restricting access to authorized users or disabling remote access to
   >the Windows registry on systems running Cisco Secure ACS for Windows.
   >For information on restricting remote registry access, please consult
   >the following Microsoft documentation.
   >
   >"How to restrict access to the registry from a remote computer":
   >
   >http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q153183
   >
   >"How to Manage Remote Access to the Registry":
   >
   >http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q314837
   >
   >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 website 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.
   >
   >
   >Regards,
   >
   >Matthew Cerha
   >Cisco Systems
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