# CVE-2018-0414: Cisco Secure Access Control Server XML External Entity Injection Vulnerability

> An authenticated attacker can read sensitive information by tricking an administrator into importing a malicious XML file in Cisco Secure ACS.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.7 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 5 Oct 2018
- **Updated:** 26 Nov 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-pgwj-m55x-47m9

## What is CVE-2018-0414?

CVE-2018-0414 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Secure Access Control Server Solution Engine (ACSE), published on 5 Oct 2018. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A 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.

Weakness: CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-0414?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Secure Access Control Server Solution Engine.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-0414?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-0414 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-0414 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-0414 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Secure Access Control Server Solution Engine (ACSE)

- [CVE-2015-0700](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-0700/): Cross-site request forgery in n/a (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2013-3380](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-3380/): Missing authorization in n/a (medium 4.0)
- [CVE-2018-0207](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0207/): XML external entity in Cisco Secure Access Control Server (low 3.3)
- [CVE-2018-0218](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0218/): XML external entity in Cisco Secure Access Control Server (low 3.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-0414 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-0414 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Secure Access Control Server Solution Engine (ACSE), published on 5 Oct 2018. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-0414 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Secure Access Control Server Solution Engine (ACSE). 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-2018-0414/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0414/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-0414
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-0414
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-0414

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0414/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.