CVE-2010-3753 in Openswan
Summary
by MITRE
programs/pluto/xauth.c in the client in Openswan 2.6.26 through 2.6.28 allows remote authenticated gateways to execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters in the cisco_banner (aka server_banner) field, a different vulnerability than CVE-2010-3308.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3753 represents a critical command injection flaw within the Openswan IPsec implementation that affects versions 2.6.26 through 2.6.28. This security weakness resides in the programs/pluto/xauth.c file, which handles authentication processes for remote gateways connecting to Openswan servers. The vulnerability specifically targets the cisco_banner field, also known as server_banner, which is used to display banner information during the authentication process. This flaw enables authenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the affected system by injecting shell metacharacters into the banner field, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on Openswan for secure network communications.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the improper handling of user-supplied input within the authentication framework. When a remote gateway establishes a connection and provides banner information, the Openswan client fails to properly sanitize or escape special shell characters contained within the cisco_banner field. This inadequate input validation creates a command injection vector where attackers can manipulate the system by embedding shell metacharacters such as semicolons, pipes, or backticks that get interpreted by the underlying shell during processing. The vulnerability operates at the application level and demonstrates poor input sanitization practices that violate fundamental security principles for handling external data within executable contexts.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe threat to network infrastructure security as it allows authenticated attackers to gain arbitrary command execution privileges on the Openswan server. The implications extend beyond simple privilege escalation since the executed commands run with the privileges of the Openswan process, which typically operates with elevated system permissions. Attackers could potentially escalate their privileges further, access sensitive network data, modify system configurations, or establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability's location within the authentication processing module also means that successful exploitation could compromise the integrity of the entire IPsec tunnel establishment process, potentially affecting all network communications secured by the vulnerable system.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Openswan versions beyond 2.6.28 where this vulnerability has been addressed through proper input sanitization and validation mechanisms. The fix typically involves implementing robust input filtering that escapes or removes dangerous shell metacharacters from user-supplied banner information before processing. Security practitioners should also consider network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability requires authentication but could be leveraged by compromised credentials. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-78, which specifically addresses OS Command Injection, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter. Organizations should also review their access controls and authentication mechanisms to ensure that only authorized entities can establish connections to IPsec gateways, reducing the attack surface for such authenticated command injection vulnerabilities.