CVE-2018-0147 Cisco Secure Access Control System (ACS): login or permission bypass
In plain words: A door that should be locked is not: part of the system can be reached without a valid login or permission. The attacker gets in as a user or administrator without knowing a password.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Apr 15, 2022
What to do
- Install Cisco's security update for Secure Access Control System (ACS). If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
- Never expose the device's admin page to the internet.
- After patching a device that was exposed, follow the vendor's compromise checks, end active sessions and change passwords.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: They face the internet and guard the whole network, so a flaw here can hand attackers a way in — and these devices usually run no antivirus, so break-ins go unnoticed.
The details
- Official name
- Cisco Secure Access Control System Java Deserialization Vulnerability
- Product
- Cisco Secure Access Control System (ACS)
- CISA description
- A vulnerability in Java deserialization used by Cisco Secure Access Control System (ACS) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insecure deserialization of user-supplied content by the affected software.
- Type of flaw
- Login or permission bypass (CWE-20)
- Confirmed exploited
- Mar 25, 2022
- US federal patch deadline
- Apr 15, 2022
Ask Cleus about it
Ask about a vulnerability, an update, a weird message, or the news. Plain-word answers, free, no account.
Answering about CVE-2018-0147 ·
Questions about CVE-2018-0147
Is CVE-2018-0147 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2018-0147 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Mar 25, 2022, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2018-0147?
Install Cisco's security update for Secure Access Control System (ACS). If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
Am I affected by CVE-2018-0147?
Only if you use Cisco Secure Access Control System (ACS). Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.