CVE-2015-2201 in AirWave
Summary
by MITRE • 09/05/2023
Aruba AirWave before 7.7.14.2 and 8.x before 8.0.7 allows VisualRF remote OS command execution and file disclosure by administrative users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/01/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2201 affects Aruba AirWave network management software versions prior to 7.7.14.2 and 8.x versions prior to 8.0.7. This critical security flaw resides within the VisualRF component of the AirWave platform, which provides wireless network visualization and management capabilities. The vulnerability represents a severe remote code execution risk that can be exploited by administrative users who have legitimate access to the system, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative privileges are shared or where privilege escalation occurs.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the VisualRF module's handling of user-supplied data. Specifically, the flaw allows authenticated administrative users to inject and execute arbitrary operating system commands through improperly validated parameters in the web interface. This occurs due to insufficient sanitization of input fields that are processed by the backend system, enabling attackers to craft malicious payloads that bypass normal access controls and execute commands with the privileges of the affected service account. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-77 and CWE-94 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, representing command injection and code injection flaws that can lead to complete system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it also enables file disclosure capabilities that can be leveraged to extract sensitive configuration data, credentials, and other confidential information from the affected system. Attackers can utilize this vulnerability to access system files, potentially including database contents, configuration files containing administrative credentials, and other sensitive data stored on the AirWave server. The risk is amplified by the fact that this affects administrative users who typically possess elevated privileges, meaning that successful exploitation can result in complete compromise of the wireless network management infrastructure. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and script injection, T1078 for valid accounts, and T1083 for file and directory discovery.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-2201 require immediate patching of affected AirWave installations to versions 7.7.14.2 or 8.0.7 and later. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to AirWave management interfaces and enforce strict access control measures for administrative accounts. Additional defensive measures include monitoring for suspicious command execution patterns, implementing network intrusion detection systems to identify potential exploitation attempts, and conducting regular security audits of administrative access logs. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and privilege separation in network management systems, emphasizing that administrative interfaces must be protected against malicious input injection attacks that can lead to complete system compromise. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts and establishing strict change management procedures for network management systems to reduce the attack surface and prevent unauthorized access to critical infrastructure components.