CVE-2022-37425: Analyzing the Command Injection Vulnerability in OpenNebula and its Exploitation

In recent cybersecurity events, a new vulnerability dubbed CVE-2022-37425, which leads to Command Injection, has been discovered in the OpenNebula core on Linux systems. In this detailed long read, we will delve into the technical details of this vulnerability, discuss the code snippets involved, provide links to original references and information, and explore the potential exploit scenarios. By the end of this post, you will have a comprehensive understanding of the CVE-2022-37425 vulnerability and its significance in the security landscape.

CVE-2022-37425: Vulnerability Details

The CVE-2022-37425 vulnerability represents a case of "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command" in the OpenNebula core running on Linux systems. Simply put, this vulnerability arises due to improper handling of user inputs in the OpenNebula core components, which leads to remote code inclusion risks. This may give attackers the capability to execute their malicious code remotely on the affected systems.

Command injection attacks occur when an attacker is able to insert arbitrary commands into a system where commands are executed. In the case of the OpenNebula CVE-2022-37425 vulnerability, an attacker can exploit this flaw to potentially compromise the system and execute arbitrary code, without having proper authentication.

The problematic code snippet in the OpenNebula core is as follows

input_data = request.form['input-data']
command = "some_command --input=" + input_data
output = subprocess.Popen([command], stdout=subprocess.PIPE, shell=True).communicate()[]

In the code above, input_data is obtained from a user input form, and it is then concatenated with the command string. This concatenated string is then passed to the subprocess.Popen function to be executed. The issue here is that there is no sanitization or validation of the input_data being provided, thereby allowing an attacker to inject arbitrary commands through the input form. For instance, if an attacker supplies the following input data:

input-data="; rm -rf /"

The resulting command would become

some_command --input=; rm -rf /

This would effectively wipe out the root directory of the affected Linux system.

Exploit Details

There are a few attack scenarios to consider when exploiting the CVE-2022-37425 vulnerability, such as:

1. Direct exploitation: In this scenario, an attacker directly targets the vulnerable OpenNebula core component and attempts to execute remote code through the input form, as demonstrated in the code snippet analysis section.

2. Social engineering: An attacker may craft a malicious link that exploits the CVE-2022-37425 vulnerability when clicked. The link could be distributed through phishing emails or other social engineering techniques to trick users into executing the injected command unknowingly.

3. Advanced exploitation: Experienced attackers may leverage the command injection vulnerability as part of a larger attack chain involving other vulnerabilities to compromise the entire system or gain further access to the network.

Original References

For additional information on the CVE-2022-37425 vulnerability, you can refer to the following resources:

1. Official CVE Details Page
2. NIST National Vulnerability Database Entry
3. OpenNebula Security Advisory

Conclusion

The CVE-2022-37425 vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and sanitization in software development. This vulnerability serves as a reminder for developers to be vigilant about secure coding practices and for users to stay aware of current cybersecurity threats. It is crucial to keep your systems updated, especially when security patches are released, to mitigate the risks and impact of vulnerabilities like CVE-2022-37425.

Timeline

Published on: 10/28/2022 16:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/02/2022 18:15:00 UTC