CVE-2025-20272

4.3 MEDIUM

📋 TL;DR

An authenticated low-privileged attacker can exploit insufficient input validation in certain REST APIs of Cisco Prime Infrastructure and Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager to conduct blind SQL injection attacks. This allows viewing data from database tables on affected devices. Organizations running vulnerable versions of these Cisco network management products are affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:
  • Cisco Prime Infrastructure
  • Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager
Versions: Specific versions listed in Cisco advisory
Operating Systems: Linux-based appliance OS
Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes
Notes: Requires authenticated access with any privilege level; affects specific REST API endpoints only

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Attacker exfiltrates sensitive configuration data, credentials, or network topology information from database tables, potentially enabling further attacks.

🟠

Likely Case

Attacker extracts limited database information accessible to low-privileged accounts, potentially revealing system configuration details.

🟢

If Mitigated

With proper network segmentation and access controls, impact is limited to viewing non-sensitive data in specific database tables.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH
🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No
Weaponized: UNKNOWN
Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No
Complexity: MEDIUM

Requires authentication and knowledge of specific vulnerable API endpoints; blind SQL injection requires time-based or boolean inference techniques

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Refer to Cisco advisory for specific fixed versions

Vendor Advisory: https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-piepnm-bsi-25JJqsbb

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Review Cisco advisory for affected versions 2. Download and install appropriate fixed version 3. Restart affected services or appliances 4. Verify patch installation

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Network Access Restriction

all

Restrict network access to management interfaces to trusted IP addresses only

Configure firewall rules to limit access to Cisco Prime/EPNM management interfaces

API Endpoint Disablement

all

Disable unused REST API endpoints if possible

Consult Cisco documentation for API management configuration

🧯 If You Can't Patch

  • Implement strict network segmentation to isolate management interfaces
  • Enforce principle of least privilege for all user accounts accessing these systems

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check current software version against affected versions in Cisco advisory

Check Version:

Check via web interface: Admin > System > Software Update or via CLI: show version

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify installed version matches fixed version from Cisco advisory

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

  • Unusual SQL error messages in application logs
  • Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by API requests
  • Requests to specific REST API endpoints with SQL-like patterns

Network Indicators:

  • Unusual outbound database connections from management appliances
  • Patterns of time-delayed API responses suggesting blind SQL injection

SIEM Query:

source="cisco-prime" OR source="cisco-epnm" AND (message="*SQL*" OR message="*syntax*" OR message="*database*")

🔗 References

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