CVE-2014-5503 in Cyberoam
Summary
by MITRE
SQL injection vulnerability in the Guest Login Portal in the Sophos Cyberoam appliances with CyberoamOS before 10.6.1 GA allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the add_guest_user opcode.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/13/2019
The CVE-2014-5503 vulnerability represents a critical sql injection flaw discovered in Sophos Cyberoam appliances running CyberoamOS versions prior to 10.6.1 GA. This vulnerability specifically targets the Guest Login Portal component of the network security appliance, which is designed to provide temporary access to network resources for visitors and guests. The flaw exists within the handling of the add_guest_user opcode, which is used to process guest user account creation requests through the web interface. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious input that gets directly incorporated into sql queries without proper sanitization or parameterization, thereby enabling unauthorized database access and manipulation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the web application layer of the Cyberoam appliance. When a user submits guest login information through the portal, the system fails to properly escape or parameterize user-supplied data before incorporating it into backend database queries. This allows an attacker to inject malicious sql fragments that can manipulate the database structure, extract sensitive information, or execute arbitrary commands on the underlying database server. The vulnerability specifically affects the add_guest_user opcode which handles guest account registration requests, making it particularly dangerous as it provides a direct pathway for attackers to compromise the appliance's database functionality. This flaw aligns with CWE-89, which categorizes sql injection vulnerabilities as a fundamental weakness in application security where untrusted data is directly incorporated into sql commands without proper sanitization.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-5503 extends beyond simple data theft to encompass complete system compromise and unauthorized network access. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can potentially extract administrative credentials, guest user information, network configuration details, and other sensitive data stored within the appliance's database. The vulnerability enables remote code execution capabilities, allowing attackers to escalate privileges and gain full administrative control over the affected appliance. This poses significant risks to enterprise networks as the Cyberoam appliance typically serves as a critical security gateway, firewall, and network access control device. The attack surface is particularly concerning because the vulnerability can be exploited without authentication, making it accessible to anyone with network connectivity to the appliance's web interface. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application and T1078 - Valid Accounts, as it allows attackers to leverage the appliance's legitimate web interface to gain unauthorized access and potentially escalate privileges.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to protect their network infrastructure. The primary and most effective remediation involves upgrading the Cyberoam appliance to CyberoamOS version 10.6.1 GA or later, which includes proper input validation and sql injection protection mechanisms. Network administrators should also implement additional security controls such as restricting access to the Guest Login Portal through firewall rules, limiting the exposure of the appliance's web interface to trusted networks only, and monitoring for suspicious login patterns or sql injection attempts. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and implement intrusion detection systems capable of identifying sql injection payloads. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing proper application security testing procedures to identify similar weaknesses in network infrastructure devices. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation to isolate critical security appliances and reduce the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts.