# CVE-2018-0121: Auth bypass in Cisco Elastic Services Controller

> Unauthenticated attackers can bypass authentication by submitting an empty password to gain administrator privileges on the Cisco Elastic Services Controller web portal.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 22 Feb 2018
- **Updated:** 2 Dec 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7h7w-c9m3-p7hv

## What is CVE-2018-0121?

CVE-2018-0121 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Cisco Elastic Services Controller, published on 22 Feb 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the authentication functionality of the web-based service portal of Cisco Elastic Services Controller Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary actions with administrator privileges on an affected system. The vulnerability is due to improper security restrictions that are imposed by the web-based service portal of the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting an empty password value to an affected portal when prompted to enter an administrative password for the portal. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass authentication and gain administrator privileges for the web-based service portal of the affected software. This vulnerability affects Cisco Elastic Services Controller Software Release 3.0.0. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvg29809.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-0121?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Cisco Elastic Services Controller, Cisco Virtual Managed Services.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-0121?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-0121 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-0121 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-0121 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Elastic Services Controller

- [CVE-2019-1867](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1867/): Cisco Elastic Services Controller REST API Authentication Bypass Vulnerability (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2017-6713](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6713/): Hardcoded credentials in Cisco Elastic Services Controller (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-6712](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6712/): Command injection in Cisco Elastic Services Controller (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2017-6682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6682/): Command injection in Cisco Elastic Services Controller (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2017-6683](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6683/): Command injection in Cisco Elastic Services Controller (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-0121 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-0121 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Cisco Elastic Services Controller, published on 22 Feb 2018. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-0121 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Elastic Services Controller. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0121/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0121/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-0121
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-0121
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-0121

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0121/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.