CVE-2015-2033 in NetMRI
Summary
by MITRE
Anyterm Daemon in Infoblox Network Automation NetMRI before NETMRI-23483 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges via a crafted terminal/anyterm-module request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/13/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2033 represents a critical remote code execution flaw within the Anyterm Daemon component of Infoblox Network Automation NetMRI software. This vulnerability exists in versions prior to NETMRI-23483 and presents a severe security risk that could allow attackers to gain full administrative control over affected systems. The Anyterm Daemon serves as a terminal service mechanism within the NetMRI platform, facilitating remote terminal access and command execution capabilities for network automation tasks. The flaw specifically manifests in how the daemon processes incoming requests through the terminal/anyterm-module interface, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary code with the highest possible privileges.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the Anyterm Daemon's request handling mechanism. When processing crafted terminal/anyterm-module requests, the daemon fails to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied parameters, allowing attackers to manipulate the request structure to inject malicious commands. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-94 categories, representing command injection flaws that permit arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability's exploitation requires no authentication or authorization, making it particularly dangerous as attackers can leverage it remotely without needing valid credentials. The daemon's design appears to trust incoming requests without sufficient validation, creating a trust boundary violation that enables privilege escalation from standard user contexts to root privileges.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-2033 extends far beyond simple remote code execution, as it provides attackers with complete system compromise capabilities. Once exploited, attackers can establish persistent backdoors, modify network configurations, access sensitive data repositories, and potentially use the compromised system as a pivot point for attacking other network segments. The vulnerability's presence in network automation platforms like NetMRI creates additional risks since these systems typically operate with elevated privileges and have access to critical network infrastructure. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this vulnerability from anywhere on the internet, making it particularly attractive for automated exploitation campaigns. Organizations using affected NetMRI versions face significant risk of data breaches, network disruption, and compliance violations due to the lack of proper access controls and the elevated privilege escalation capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action from affected organizations to upgrade to patched versions of the NetMRI software. The primary remediation involves applying the vendor-supplied security patches that address the input validation flaws in the Anyterm Daemon component. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit exposure of vulnerable systems to untrusted networks. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect anomalous terminal access patterns and command execution attempts. Security professionals should review and harden the configuration of the NetMRI platform to disable unnecessary terminal services where possible. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of principle of least privilege implementation and proper input validation in network automation platforms, aligning with ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and command execution. Regular vulnerability assessments and security audits should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other network infrastructure components and ensure comprehensive protection against similar threats.