Secure Access Control Server Solution EngineApplication · Cisco
CVE-2018-0414
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA vulnerability in the web-based UI of Cisco Secure Access Control Server could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to gain read access to certain information in an affected system. The vulnerability is due to improper handling of XML External Entities (XXEs) when parsing an XML file. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by convincing the administrator of an affected system to import a crafted XML file.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThis is an XXE (XML External Entity) injection vulnerability in Cisco Secure Access Control Server's web-based management UI. The XML parser does not properly disable external entity processing, allowing an authenticated attacker (or an admin tricked into importing a malicious XML file) to read arbitrary files from the server's filesystem via crafted XML entities.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Secure Access Control Server Solution EngineApplication
< 5.8= 5.8CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Cisco Secure Access Control Server installationLocate the Cisco Secure Access Control Server (ACS) installation on your system and confirm the product name matches 'Cisco Secure Access Control Server Solution Engine'Affected if The product is Cisco Secure Access Control Server Solution Engine
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Determine installed versionUse the system's package manager, version command, or ACS admin interface to retrieve the exact version number of the installed Cisco Secure ACS softwareAffected if The installed version is less than 5.8 or equals exactly 5.8
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Verify web management interface is enabledCheck if the web-based management UI service is running and accessible (typically via HTTPS on port 443 or 8443)Affected if The web management interface is enabled and reachable
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Confirm XML import capability is availableLog into the ACS web management interface and navigate to the configuration or import sections to verify if XML file import functionality existsAffected if XML import functionality is present and accessible to authenticated users
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Inspect XML parser configurationExamine the ACS configuration files or XML parser settings for options controlling external entity processing (look for settings related to 'external entities', 'DTD processing', or 'entity expansion')Affected if External entity processing is not explicitly disabled in the XML parser configuration
Your environment is affected if Cisco Secure Access Control Server Solution Engine version 5.8 or below is installed with the web management UI and XML import functionality enabled, and the XML parser allows external entity processing.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data5.8
Disable XML external entity processing in the application's XML parser configuration, or upgrade to a patched version when available. Restrict the XML import functionality to trusted users and validate all XML input.
Fix this in Secure Access Control Server Solution Engine
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-0414 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-0414 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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