CVE-2002-1477 in Cacti
Summary
by MITRE
graphs.php in Cacti before 0.6.8 allows remote authenticated Cacti administrators to execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters in the title during edit mode.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/30/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1477 resides within the graphs.php component of Cacti monitoring software versions prior to 0.6.8. This represents a critical command injection flaw that specifically targets authenticated administrative users, creating a pathway for remote code execution through improper input validation. The vulnerability manifests when administrators attempt to edit graph titles, as the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into system commands. This weakness enables malicious actors with valid administrative credentials to inject shell metacharacters that are subsequently executed by the underlying operating system, potentially allowing full system compromise.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-77, which categorizes improper neutralization of special elements used in command execution. Attackers exploit this by crafting malicious input containing shell metacharacters such as semicolons, ampersands, or backticks within the graph title field during edit operations. When the system processes these inputs without adequate sanitization, the command injection occurs at the operating system level, enabling arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the web application user. The vulnerability's impact is significantly amplified by the fact that it requires only authenticated access, meaning that an attacker who has already gained administrative credentials can leverage this flaw to escalate their privileges and potentially gain complete system control.
The operational implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple code execution, as it can be exploited to establish persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, or disrupt monitoring operations. Since Cacti serves as a network monitoring solution, compromising the system hosting it can provide attackers with visibility into network traffic and infrastructure, potentially enabling further reconnaissance and lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability also impacts the integrity and availability of the monitoring infrastructure, as attackers can modify or delete monitoring data, creating false security alerts or obscuring actual threats. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically focusing on the execution of system commands through web interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-1477 primarily involve immediate patching of affected Cacti installations to version 0.6.8 or later, which implements proper input sanitization and validation. Organizations should also enforce strict access controls and privilege separation, ensuring that administrative credentials are protected and that least privilege principles are applied to web application users. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious command injection patterns, conducting regular security audits of web applications, and establishing monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized administrative activities. Network segmentation and intrusion detection systems can help identify exploitation attempts by monitoring for unusual command execution patterns or unauthorized access to administrative interfaces. Regular security training for administrators and implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts further reduces the risk of exploitation.