CVE-2024-42505 - Command Injection Vulnerabilities in Aruba's PAPI Management Protocol Resulting in Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution

In this in-depth analysis, we will discuss a critical vulnerability with the assigned CVE-2024-42505. The vulnerability resides in the handling of Aruba's Access Point management protocol, known as the PAPI. This vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code remotely with privileged access by sending specially crafted packets to the UDP port 8211.

We will start by providing an overview of the issue, followed by a description of the vulnerable component, an analysis of the exploit process, proof-of-concept code, and conclude with potential mitigations and recommendations.

Vulnerability Overview

Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, provides a comprehensive range of wireless networking and security solutions for enterprises. Among these solutions are access points that facilitate connectivity between devices and networks. The management of these access points is carried out using a proprietary protocol called PAPI, which uses port 8211.

The vulnerability (CVE-2024-42505) in question allows for command injection into the underlying CLI service responsible for processing PAPI commands, leading to unauthenticated remote code execution with privileged access on the underlying operating system.

Vulnerable Component and Affected Versions

The vulnerability affects Aruba Access Points running firmware versions prior to the patched releases. The affected protocols are the PAPI version 2.xx and 3.xx, running on the Aruba Mobility Controllers (MC) and the Instant Access Points (IAP).

Please refer to the Aruba Security Advisory for a comprehensive list of affected products and recommended patches.

Exploit Analysis

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting specially-formatted packets destined to the PAPI UDP service running on port 8211. These packets contain malicious commands and exploit the vulnerable command processing while parsing PAPI messages.

An example of a malicious packet in Python

import socket

TARGET_IP = "192.168.1.1"
TARGET_PORT = 8211

# Replace COMMAND with the desired command to be executed
malicious_packet = b'PAPI' + b'\x00\x00\x01' + b'\x00\x00\x00' + b'COMMAND'

sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_DGRAM)
sock.sendto(malicious_packet, (TARGET_IP, TARGET_PORT))

The example above is a proof-of-concept (PoC) code, where "COMMAND" can be replaced by any command that an attacker wants to execute on the target device.

When a malicious packet is sent to the target device, the CLI parsing mechanism does not adequately sanitize the input commands, leading to the arbitrary code execution vulnerability. Exploiting this vulnerability would grant the attacker privileged access to the underlying operating system, enabling them to carry out further malicious activities.

Mitigations and Recommendations

Aruba Networks has released patches to address this vulnerability. Users are advised to update their firmware to the latest versions to mitigate the risk of exploitation. Specific patches for affected devices can be found in the Aruba Security Advisory.

Additionally, network administrators should implement the following best practices to further reduce the risk of exploitation:

1. Restrict access to UDP port 8211 to only trusted sources, and use access control lists (ACLs) to limit network exposure.

2. Regularly monitor the logs and network for any suspicious activity, such as unusual traffic to port 8211.

Keep all software and firmware up-to-date to stay protected against known vulnerabilities.

In conclusion, CVE-2024-42505 is a severe vulnerability that affects multiple Aruba Access Points' management protocol, PAPI. By sending specially-crafted packets to the UDP port 8211, an attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code with privileged access. To protect against this vulnerability, users should update their firmware and follow the recommended best practices to minimize their risk of exploitation.

Timeline

Published on: 09/25/2024 01:15:42 UTC
Last modified on: 09/26/2024 13:32:02 UTC