CVE-2015-3657 in ClearPass Policy Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Aruba Networks ClearPass Policy Manager before 6.4.7 and 6.5.x before 6.5.2 allows remote authenticated lower-level administrators to gain "Super Admin" privileges via unspecified vectors.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/11/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-3657 affects Aruba Networks ClearPass Policy Manager versions prior to 6.4.7 and 6.5.x versions before 6.5.2, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that undermines the security model of the authentication and authorization system. This issue specifically targets the privilege management mechanisms within the ClearPass platform, which serves as a centralized policy enforcement point for network access control and identity management. The vulnerability enables lower-level authenticated administrators to escalate their privileges to the highest administrative level, effectively bypassing the intended security boundaries and access controls that should separate different administrative roles within the system.
The technical flaw manifests through unspecified vectors that likely involve improper access control checks or privilege validation mechanisms within the ClearPass Policy Manager's administrative interface. This type of vulnerability typically stems from inadequate input validation, insufficient privilege verification, or flawed session management that allows unauthorized privilege elevation. The vulnerability operates at the application level and requires an authenticated user account with lower administrative privileges to exploit, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by insiders or compromised accounts. The issue represents a failure in the principle of least privilege enforcement, where the system fails to properly validate whether an authenticated user has sufficient authorization to perform privileged operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the ClearPass Policy Manager, which serves as the central authority for network access policies, user authentication, and device authorization. Once escalated to super admin privileges, an attacker gains the ability to modify all policy configurations, create or modify user accounts, access sensitive authentication data, and potentially gain access to the underlying network infrastructure that ClearPass manages. This privilege escalation capability can lead to widespread network compromise, data exfiltration, and disruption of network services. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on ClearPass for critical network access control, potentially exposing their entire network infrastructure to unauthorized access and manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-3657 should prioritize immediate patching of affected ClearPass Policy Manager versions to the recommended secure releases. Organizations should implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect anomalous administrative activities that might indicate privilege escalation attempts. The principle of least privilege should be strictly enforced by limiting administrative accounts to the minimum necessary permissions, and regular privilege audits should be conducted to identify unauthorized access patterns. Security controls should include implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, network access controls, and continuous monitoring of administrative sessions. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses inadequate privilege management, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and privilege escalation through unauthorized access to administrative functions. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure they can detect and respond to privilege escalation events effectively, as this type of vulnerability often goes undetected for extended periods.