CVE-2022-43571: Unauthorized Arbitrary Code Execution in Splunk Enterprise Dashboard PDF Generation Component

A newly identified vulnerability, CVE-2022-43571, found in Splunk Enterprise affects versions below 8.2.9, 8.1.12, and 9..2. This vulnerability enables an authenticated user to execute arbitrary code through the dashboard's PDF generation component. Such unauthorized access can compromise system security, and operators of the affected versions should apply the needed security patches immediately.

In this comprehensive article, we'll discuss the details of this vulnerability, including its mechanism, affected versions, and how to mitigate the risk associated with it. We'll also provide code snippets to better understand the issue and share links to original references and exploit details.

Vulnerability Details

Splunk Enterprise is a popular platform used by many organizations to collect, analyze, and visualize machine data. The dashboard PDF generation component, which converts dashboard pages into PDF files, is a core feature that users rely on to share visualizations and insights with colleagues.

The vulnerability, designated as CVE-2022-43571, allows an authenticated user to execute arbitrary code remotely. This happens due to insufficient input validation and output encoding of user-supplied data in the dashboard PDF generation component. Consequently, an attacker could exploit this condition by injecting malicious code into the PDF file and subsequently execute it when another user views the file.

Affected Versions

CVE-2022-43571 impacts Splunk Enterprise versions below 8.2.9, 8.1.12, and 9..2. If you are running any of these versions, it is crucial to upgrade to the latest secured release to avoid unauthorized access and potential exploitation.

Code Snippet

To demonstrate the vulnerability, let's take a look at a simple code snippet that shows how an attacker might craft a malicious payload in Python:

import requests

url = "http://target-splunk-enterprise:port/en-US/pdf/render?input-dashboard-url=";
dashboardURL = "http://target-splunk-enterprise:port/en-US/app/search/dashboard";
maliciousCode = "; arbitrary code here ;"

finalPayload = url + dashboardURL + maliciousCode
response = requests.get(finalPayload, auth=('username', 'password'))

if response.status_code == 200:
    print("Malicious code executed successfully.")
else:
    print("Failed to execute malicious code.")

The code above creates a payload by adding malicious code to the dashboard URL. An attacker would then send this payload to the PDF generation component, causing the arbitrary code execution when the PDF is generated and viewed by a user.

For version 9..x, upgrade to 9..2 or later

Please refer to Splunk's official documentation on Upgrading a Splunk Enterprise Instance for instructions on how to update your instance to the latest secure version.

Enforce strong access controls to limit the number of users who have access to the dashboard

- Monitor Splunk logs for suspicious activity indicating unauthorized access or code execution attempts

Original References & Exploit Details

For more information on CVE-2022-43571 and the associated exploit details, please refer to the following resources:

1. CVE-2022-43571 - NVD - US-CERT
2. Splunk Security Advisory

Conclusion

In conclusion, CVE-2022-43571 poses a considerable risk to Splunk Enterprise users running affected versions. Ensuring that your Splunk installation is up-to-date and implementing the recommended security best practices can help mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability. Always stay informed of new security threats and follow the guidelines provided by software developers to maintain a secure environment.

Timeline

Published on: 11/03/2022 23:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/07/2022 17:02:00 UTC