CVE-2014-5502 in Cyberoam
Summary
by MITRE
The Sophos Cyberoam appliances with CyberoamOS before 10.6.1 GA allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary commands via a (1) checkcert_key, (2) webclient_portal_settings, (3) sslvpn_liveuser_delete, or (4) ccc_flush_sql_file opcode.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/13/2019
The Sophos Cyberoam appliance vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-5502 represents a critical command injection flaw affecting CyberoamOS versions prior to 10.6.1 GA. This vulnerability exists within the appliance's web administration interface and specifically targets four distinct opcodes that handle various system functions including certificate management, web client portal configuration, sslvpn user deletion, and sql file flushing operations. The flaw allows authenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the affected system by manipulating these specific opcode parameters, effectively bypassing normal authentication mechanisms and gaining unauthorized system access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the appliance's web interface processing logic. When the system receives requests containing the vulnerable opcodes, it fails to properly validate or escape user-supplied parameters before processing them within system commands. This classic input validation failure creates an environment where attacker-controlled data can be interpreted as executable commands, enabling arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the appliance's administrative functions, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by authenticated users who may have limited privileges initially.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-5502 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass full system compromise and potential network infiltration. An authenticated attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute system commands with the privileges of the web server process, potentially escalating to root access depending on the system configuration. The vulnerability affects the core administrative functionality of the appliance, which typically manages network security policies, user authentication, and SSL VPN services. Successful exploitation could result in complete loss of network security control, data exfiltration, and establishment of persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure.
Organizations using affected Sophos Cyberoam appliances should prioritize immediate remediation through the official CyberoamOS 10.6.1 GA update release. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-74 and CWE-89 categories related to improper neutralization of special elements used in data queries and command injection attacks. The flaw also maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, as it enables execution of system commands through the web interface. Network administrators should implement additional monitoring for unusual administrative activity and parameter manipulation patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of administrative interfaces, particularly those handling system-level operations that could be exploited for privilege escalation and remote code execution.