CVE-2012-6602 in PAN-OS
Summary
by MITRE
The device-management command-line interface in Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS before 3.1.10 and 4.0.x before 4.0.4 allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary commands via unspecified vectors, aka Ref ID 30122.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-6602 represents a critical command injection flaw within the device-management command-line interface of Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS operating systems. This security weakness affects versions prior to 3.1.10 and 4.0.4, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on Palo Alto firewalls for network security. The vulnerability operates through unspecified attack vectors that enable remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary commands on affected systems, fundamentally compromising the integrity and confidentiality of network infrastructure. The issue stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the command-line interface, which fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of command-line arguments or parameters within the device management interface. Attackers who have gained legitimate authentication credentials can leverage this flaw to escalate their privileges and execute malicious commands with the same privileges as the authenticated user. This command injection capability allows for unauthorized access to system resources, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within the network environment. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-94 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, specifically addressing improper input validation and code injection vulnerabilities. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, demonstrating how authenticated users can abuse legitimate system interfaces for malicious purposes.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-6602 extends beyond immediate system compromise, potentially enabling attackers to establish persistent access, modify firewall rules, and disrupt network security controls. Organizations utilizing affected PAN-OS versions face elevated risk of data breaches, unauthorized network access, and complete compromise of their firewall infrastructure. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the device, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network access is not strictly controlled. Security administrators must consider the broader implications for network segmentation, as compromised firewalls could allow attackers to bypass critical security controls and move freely between network zones. The vulnerability's presence in both major release series 3.1.x and 4.0.x indicates a fundamental flaw in the command-line interface implementation that affects a substantial portion of Palo Alto Networks deployments.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability center on immediate patch deployment to versions 3.1.10 and 4.0.4 or later, which contain the necessary fixes to address the command injection flaw. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit authentication credentials to only necessary personnel, reducing the attack surface for potential exploitation. Additional protective measures include monitoring for suspicious command execution patterns, implementing strict input validation for CLI interfaces, and maintaining comprehensive audit logs of administrative activities. Network administrators should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specific to this vulnerability. The remediation process requires careful planning to ensure that patch deployment does not disrupt critical network services, while also verifying that the applied fixes fully address the underlying command injection mechanisms that enabled the arbitrary command execution.