CVE-2014-9566 in Orion Network Performance Monitor
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple SQL injection vulnerabilities in the Manage Accounts page in the AccountManagement.asmx service in the Solarwinds Orion Platform 2015.1, as used in Network Performance Monitor (NPM) before 11.5, NetFlow Traffic Analyzer (NTA) before 4.1, Network Configuration Manager (NCM) before 7.3.2, IP Address Manager (IPAM) before 4.3, User Device Tracker (UDT) before 3.2, VoIP & Network Quality Manager (VNQM) before 4.2, Server & Application Manager (SAM) before 6.2, Web Performance Monitor (WPM) before 2.2, and possibly other Solarwinds products, allow remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary SQL commands via the (1) dir or (2) sort parameter to the (a) GetAccounts or (b) GetAccountGroups endpoint.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/27/2024
The CVE-2014-9566 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw in the Solarwinds Orion Platform that affects multiple network monitoring and management products. This vulnerability exists within the AccountManagement.asmx web service, specifically in the Manage Accounts page functionality where the GetAccounts and GetAccountGroups endpoints are exposed. The flaw allows authenticated remote attackers to manipulate database queries through carefully crafted input parameters, potentially leading to complete database compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive network infrastructure data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the web service endpoints. Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by submitting malicious payloads through the dir or sort parameters in the GetAccounts or GetAccountGroups requests. These parameters are directly incorporated into SQL queries without proper parameterization or input filtering, creating a classic SQL injection attack vector. The vulnerability manifests as a CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command, which is classified as a fundamental weakness in database query construction. This weakness allows attackers to inject malicious SQL code that executes with the privileges of the database user account associated with the web service.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the underlying database. This can result in complete database compromise, data exfiltration, modification of network configuration data, and potential lateral movement within the network infrastructure. Given that Solarwinds products are widely used for network monitoring and management, successful exploitation could provide attackers with visibility into critical network assets, user credentials, and configuration information. The vulnerability affects multiple products within the Solarwinds ecosystem, amplifying the potential impact across different network management functions including NPM, NTA, NCM, IPAM, UDT, VNQM, SAM, and WPM, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where these products are commonly deployed together.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through official Solarwinds patches and updates. The recommended mitigation strategy includes applying the vendor-supplied security patches that address the input validation issues in the AccountManagement.asmx service. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit access to the affected web services, while monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing proper input validation, parameterized queries, and regular security assessments can help prevent similar vulnerabilities in other applications. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.005: Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, as it exploits web service endpoints, and T1046: Network Service Scanning, since attackers would need to identify and probe the vulnerable endpoints to exploit this weakness. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and parameterized queries in preventing database injection attacks, which are among the most prevalent and dangerous web application security issues identified in industry security frameworks.