A recently discovered vulnerability (CVE-2023-20036) in the web UI of Cisco Industrial Network Director (IND) could potentially allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands with administrative privileges on the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper input validation when uploading a Device Pack. Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability, but there are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.
Exploit Details
The exploit works by taking advantage of improper input validation when uploading a Device Pack. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by altering the request that is sent when uploading a Device Pack. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM on the underlying operating system of an affected device.
Code Snippet
The following code snippet demonstrates how an attacker might alter the request when uploading a Device Pack:
#Sample POST request to upload Device Pack
POST /devicepack/upload HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: application/zip
Content-Length: [Content-Length]
Authorization: Basic [Base64 encoded auth]
[BINARY_DATA_HERE]
To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to modify the POST request by injecting arbitrary commands into the request fields:
#Exploit POST request with arbitrary command
POST /devicepack/upload HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: application/zip
Content-Length: length(args)
Authorization: Basic [Base64 encoded auth]
append(";[ARBITRARY_COMMAND]");
Once the malicious request is sent to the server, the attacker would obtain administrative privileges (NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM) on the underlying operating system of the affected device.
For more details on this vulnerability, refer to the following official sources
- Cisco Security Advisory: CVE-2023-20036
- National Vulnerability Database (NVD) entry: CVE-2023-20036
Mitigation
Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. Affected Cisco IND users are advised to update their software immediately to the latest version, as there are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.
If you have not yet updated your Cisco IND software, consider doing so immediately to protect your systems from potential attacks exploiting the CVE-2023-20036 vulnerability. Review official documentation on how to perform software updates on your Cisco IND device by visiting the following link: Cisco IND Software Update Documentation
Conclusion
The CVE-2023-20036 vulnerability poses a significant risk for Cisco IND devices, as it allows authenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands with administrative privileges on affected systems. All Cisco IND users should take the necessary precautions and update the software to the latest version to protect themselves from potential exploitation.
Timeline
Published on: 11/15/2024 15:21:32 UTC