CVE-2014-4013 in ClearPass
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in the Policy Manager in Aruba Networks ClearPass 5.x, 6.0.x, 6.1.x through 6.1.4.61696, 6.2.x through 6.2.6.62196, and 6.3.x before 6.3.4 allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary SQL commands via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/11/2019
The CVE-2014-4013 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw within Aruba Networks ClearPass Policy Manager software across multiple version ranges including 5.x, 6.0.x, 6.1.x through 6.1.4.61696, 6.2.x through 6.2.6.62196, and 6.3.x before 6.3.4. This vulnerability resides in the Policy Manager component of the ClearPass platform, which serves as a centralized identity and access management solution for network security infrastructure. The flaw enables remote authenticated attackers to exploit the system by injecting malicious SQL commands through unspecified vectors, potentially compromising the entire database backend that stores critical network access policies, user credentials, and authentication data. The vulnerability specifically affects organizations using Aruba's network access control solutions where ClearPass serves as the primary policy enforcement point.
The technical nature of this SQL injection vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the Policy Manager's database interaction layers. When authenticated users submit requests to the affected system, the application fails to properly escape or parameterize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows malicious actors to manipulate the database query structure and execute arbitrary SQL commands with the privileges of the database user account. The unspecified vectors suggest that the vulnerability could be triggered through various interfaces within the Policy Manager, including web-based administration panels, API endpoints, or configuration management interfaces. This broad attack surface increases the exploitability and potential impact of the vulnerability.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-4013 extends beyond simple data theft to encompass complete database compromise and potential lateral movement within network infrastructure. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to extract sensitive information including user credentials, network access policies, device configurations, and authentication records stored in the ClearPass database. The vulnerability also enables attackers to modify or delete critical policy configurations, potentially leading to unauthorized network access or complete disruption of network security controls. Organizations relying on ClearPass for network access control may face significant security implications as the attacker gains the ability to manipulate who can access what resources within the network. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can undermine the entire security posture of organizations using Aruba's network access control solutions.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates released for this vulnerability. The affected ClearPass versions should be upgraded to patched releases that address the SQL injection flaws through proper input validation and parameterized query implementations. Network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced to limit the attack surface, ensuring that only authorized administrators can access the Policy Manager interfaces. Regular security monitoring and database audit trails should be implemented to detect any suspicious activities that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws, and represents a significant concern under ATT&CK framework category T1190 for exploit public-facing application. Organizations should also consider implementing database activity monitoring solutions and conducting comprehensive security assessments of their network access control infrastructure to identify similar vulnerabilities across their entire security ecosystem.