CVE-2017-6640

What is this vulnerability?

CVE-2017-6640 is categorized as a critical CWE-264 flaw with a CVSS base score of 9.8. Based on our vulnerability intelligence, this issue occurs when the application fails to securely handle untrusted data boundaries.

A vulnerability in Cisco Prime Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to log in to the administrative console of a DCNM server by using an account that has a default, static password. The account could be granted root- or system-level privileges. The vulnerability exists because the affected software has a default user account that has a default, static password. The user account is created automatically when the software is installed. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by connecting remotely to an affected system and logging in to the affected software by using the credentials for this default user account. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to use this default user account to log in to the affected software and gain access to the administrative console of a DCNM server. This vulnerability affects Cisco Prime Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Software releases prior to Release 10.2(1) for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Virtual Appliance platforms. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvd95346.

This architectural defect enables adversaries to bypass intended security controls, directly manipulating the application's execution state or data layer. Immediate strategic intervention is required.

Risk Assessment

Impact on Systems

✅ Data Exfiltration: Attackers can extract sensitive data from backend databases, configuration files, or internal services.

✅ Authentication Bypass: Exploiting this flaw may allow unauthorized access to protected resources and administrative interfaces.

✅ Lateral Movement: Once initial access is gained, attackers can pivot to internal systems and escalate privileges.

How to Fix and Mitigate CVE-2017-6640

1. Apply Vendor Patches: Upgrade affected components to their latest, non-vulnerable versions immediately.
2. Implement Input Validation: Ensure all user-supplied data is validated, sanitized, and type-checked before processing.
3. Deploy Runtime Protection: Use Precogs continuous monitoring to detect exploitation attempts in real time.
4. Audit Dependencies: Review and update all third-party libraries and transitive dependencies.

Defending with Precogs AI

Cisco Prime DCNM contains an authentication bypass vulnerability. Attackers send crafted HTTP requests to access the administrative console without credentials, gaining full control over the network management system. Precogs API Security Engine maps all endpoints against strict authentication requirements.

Use Precogs to continuously scan your codebase, binaries, APIs, and infrastructure for this vulnerability class and related attack patterns. Our AI-powered detection engine combines static analysis with threat intelligence to identify exploitable weaknesses before attackers do.

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Vulnerability Code Signature

Attack Data Flow

Vulnerable Code Pattern

# ❌ VULNERABLE: Unsanitized Input Flow
def process_request(request):
    user_input = request.GET.get('data')
    # Taint sink: processing untrusted data
    execute_logic(user_input)
    return {"status": "success"}

Secure Code Pattern

# ✅ SECURE: Input Validation & Sanitization
def process_request(request):
    user_input = request.GET.get('data')
    
    # Sanitized boundary check
    if not is_valid_format(user_input):
        raise ValueError("Invalid input format")
        
    sanitized_data = sanitize(user_input)
    execute_logic(sanitized_data)
    return {"status": "success"}

How Precogs Detects This

Precogs AI Analysis Engine maps untrusted input directly to execution sinks to catch complex application security vulnerabilities.\n