CVE-2009-4607 in GuardianOS
Summary
by MITRE
The command line interface in Overland Storage Snap Server 410 with GuardianOS 5.1.041 runs the "less" utility with a higher-privileged uid than the CLI user and without sufficient restriction on shell escapes, which allows local users to gain privileges using the "!" character within less to access a privileged shell.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-4607 affects the Overland Storage Snap Server 410 running GuardianOS 5.1.041 operating system. This issue resides within the command line interface implementation where the system executes the "less" utility with elevated privileges. The fundamental flaw occurs when the CLI process runs "less" with a higher user identifier than the currently authenticated user, creating a privilege escalation vector. The system fails to properly restrict shell escape sequences within the less utility, specifically allowing the use of the "!" character which enables command execution within the privileged context.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability leverages the inherent capabilities of the less utility to execute shell commands through the exclamation mark character. When a local user accesses the command line interface and subsequently invokes less with a file containing the "!" character, the system executes commands with the elevated privileges of the privileged user. This represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability where a lower-privileged user can leverage a misconfigured utility to gain administrative access to the system. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-20: Improper Input Validation and CWE-264: Permissions, Privileges and Access Controls, as it involves improper handling of user input and inadequate privilege management.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant security risk to organizations relying on the Snap Server 410 platform. Local attackers who can access the command line interface can escalate their privileges without requiring additional authentication mechanisms. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially allow full system compromise, data exfiltration, and persistence mechanisms. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the system as it provides unauthorized access to privileged operations that should be restricted to authorized administrators only. This weakness undermines the principle of least privilege and creates a backdoor for malicious actors to gain elevated system access.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-4607 should focus on immediate patching of the GuardianOS 5.1.041 firmware to address the privilege escalation flaw. Organizations should implement strict access controls to limit local user access to the command line interface and ensure that only authorized personnel can execute privileged operations. The system configuration should be reviewed to restrict the execution of utilities like "less" with elevated privileges, or the shell escape functionality should be disabled entirely. Network segmentation and monitoring should be implemented to detect unauthorized access attempts and privilege escalation activities. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation and T1548.001: Abuse of Functionality, as it exploits system utilities to gain elevated privileges and abuses legitimate system functionality for malicious purposes. Organizations should also implement regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning to identify similar privilege escalation vulnerabilities in other system components.