Cisco Security Service IPC Message Heap Corruption Could Allow Elevation of Privilege

Executive Summary

Microsoft is providing notification of the discovery and remediation of a vulnerability in the Cisco Host Scan component of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility and Cisco Secure Desktop software. The vulnerability affects the Host Scan component included in Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client and Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client software (version 3.1.00495 and earlier versions). Microsoft discovered and disclosed the vulnerability under coordinated vulnerability disclosure to the affected vendor, Cisco Systems, Inc. Cisco has remediated the vulnerability in their software.

A vulnerability exists in the way that the Cisco Security Service component (in Cisco Host Scan) handles heap allocation for IPC messages. A user running as a standard user account who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges and run arbitrary code in the security context of the system account.

Microsoft Vulnerability Research reported this issue to and coordinated with Cisco to ensure remediation of this issue. The vulnerability has been assigned the entry, CVE-2013-1173, in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures list. For more information, see the Cisco Security Notice: Cisco Host Scan Heap Overflow Vulnerability.

Mitigating Factors

• For an attack to be successful, Host Scan functionality must be enabled.
• An attacker must have valid logon credentials and be able to log on to exploit this vulnerability.