A newly discovered vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-51771, has been identified in the HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager's web-based management interface. This vulnerability allows an authenticated remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the underlying operating system. If successfully exploited, this could enable threat actors to gain unauthorized access, manipulate, or damage the system and data.

Affected Product

The vulnerability specifically affects the HPE Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager versions prior to 6.9.6 and 6.8.8.

Vulnerability Details

The issue lies in improper validation of user-supplied data when processing specific requests. An authenticated threat actor can inject malicious input, leading to the successful execution of arbitrary commands.

Below is a simple snippet of potentially vulnerable code

def process_request(request):
    user_input = request.form["user_data"]
    
    # Vulnerable part where user_input is not properly sanitized
    cmd = "some command {}" .format(user_input)
    os.system(cmd)

In this snippet, the user input is directly used to construct the command string without proper sanitization, allowing an attacker to inject and execute arbitrary commands.

Impact

If successfully exploited, this vulnerability could allow unauthorized access to the system, leading to the following potential consequences:

Recommendations

Organizations or individuals using HPE Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager are advised to take the following actions to mitigate the risk of exploitation:

1. Install the latest version of Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager, versions 6.9.6 or 6.8.8. You can obtain the appropriate software updates from the following links:

- Upgrading to Version 6.8.8: (https://www.arubanetworks.com/support-services/software-clearpass-6.x.x/6.8.x.x/)
- Upgrading to Version 6.9.6: (https://www.arubanetworks.com/support-services/software-clearpass-6.x.x/6.9.x.x/)

2. Implement proper access control and authentication policies, limiting privileged access to the web-based management interface.

Exploit Details

At the moment, there is no known public exploit code for this vulnerability. However, it is strongly advised to follow the recommended steps mentioned above to ensure the security of your ClearPass Policy Manager deployment.

For more in-depth details on this vulnerability, refer to the official CVE-2024-51771 advisory released by HPE Aruba:

- CVE-2024-51771 Advisory: (https://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/alert/ARUBA-PSA-2022-06.txt)

Conclusion

As new vulnerabilities continue to arise, it is crucial for organizations to maintain strong security practices and update their software as needed. Addressing CVE-2024-51771 now can help protect your HPE Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager from potential exploitation or compromise.

Timeline

Published on: 12/03/2024 20:15:15 UTC
Last modified on: 12/03/2024 22:15:05 UTC