On September 18, 2025, Orange Cert publicly disclosed a critical authentication bypass vulnerability affecting Nokia’s CBIS (CloudBand Infrastructure Software) and NCS (Nokia Container Service) Manager API (CVE-2023-49564).
With a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.6 (AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H), the vulnerability poses a severe risk to organizations relying on these management platforms to orchestrate and secure their containerized network functions.
Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can traverse unrestricted API endpoints without valid credentials, potentially leading to full compromise of sensitive infrastructure components.
The vulnerability resides in the authentication verification mechanism within the Nginx Podman container used by CBIS 22 and NCS 22.12 Manager hosts.
Specifically, the API’s authentication layer fails to properly validate custom HTTP headers. By crafting and injecting a specially formatted header in their request, an unauthenticated adversary can bypass all credential checks and reach endpoints reserved for administrators.
These endpoints control critical operations such as altering network slice configurations, deploying container images, and retrieving sensitive tenant data.
Given the API’s broad privileges, successful exploitation enables attackers to manipulate or exfiltrate high-value assets, inject malicious code into running containers, or disrupt network services across the management plane.
The service scope (S:C) component of the CVSS vector underscores the vulnerability’s impact on both confidentiality and integrity at a systemic scale.
Once inside the management network, threat actors enjoy elevated privileges without further access restrictions, negating any need for lateral movement or privilege escalation.
The lack of user interaction (UI:N) and absence of required privileges (PR:N) further simplify exploitation, leaving only network-level access to the management interface as a prerequisite.
Nokia CBIS/NCS Manager API Vulnerability
Nokia confirmed that the vulnerability affects CBIS 22 and NCS 22.12 installations running the default Manager API configurations.
Organizations using earlier or custom-compiled versions may also be vulnerable if they employ the same Nginx Podman authentication logic.
Exploitation requires only network connectivity to the management interface, typically restricted to a private management VLAN. However, many deployments overlook strict network segmentation, exposing the API to broader internal networks or even the public internet.
In such cases, malicious actors can scan for open management ports, identify vulnerable instances, and launch automated header injection tools to gain immediate unauthorized access.
Firewalls or access control lists (ACLs) can partially mitigate the risk by enforcing strict IP-level restrictions on the management network.
Nevertheless, this approach merely reduces the attack surface without addressing the underlying authentication weakness, leaving organizations exposed if network defenses are bypassed or misconfigured.
Mitigations
Nokia has released patches for both products: CBIS 22 FP1 MP1.2 and NCS 22.12 MP3. Administrators are urged to apply these updates immediately to restore proper header validation and authentication enforcement.
The patch replaces the vulnerable Nginx Podman container image with a hardened version that rejects unauthorized headers and performs robust session token verification before granting API access.
In addition to patching, organizations should:
- Restrict network access to management interfaces using microsegmentation and firewall rules, allowing connections only from authorized administrative hosts.
- Monitor API logs for anomalous HTTP header patterns or spikes in 401/403 errors, which may indicate scanning or brute-force attempts.
- Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for privileged users accessing management consoles, adding an extra layer of security beyond header validation.
- Regularly audit container images and orchestration scripts to ensure that no outdated Nginx or Podman components remain in production environments.
By combining these best practices with prompt patch deployment, enterprises can significantly reduce the likelihood of compromise stemming from CVE-2023-49564.
Orange Cert’s discovery underscores the persistent challenges in securing containerized network functions and their management interfaces. As 5G and Edge deployments accelerate, the integrity of orchestration APIs becomes paramount.
This high-severity vulnerability serves as a reminder for operators to maintain rigorous patch management and network segmentation disciplines to safeguard critical telco infrastructure.
Find this Story Interesting! Follow us on LinkedIn and X to Get More Instant Updates.
Source link
