CVE-2015-7751 in Junos
Summary
by MITRE
Juniper Junos OS before 12.1X44-D50, 12.1X46 before 12.1X46-D35, 12.1X47 before 12.1X47-D25, 12.3 before 12.3R9, 12.3X48 before 12.3X48-D15, 13.2 before 13.2R7, 13.2X51 before 13.2X51-D35, 13.3 before 13.3R6, 14.1 before 14.1R5, 14.1X50 before 14.1X50-D105, 14.1X51 before 14.1X51-D70, 14.1X53 before 14.1X53-D25, 14.1X55 before 14.1X55-D20, 14.2 before 14.2R1, 15.1 before 15.1F2 or 15.1R1, and 15.1X49 before 15.1X49-D10 does not require a password for the root user when pam.conf is "corrupted," which allows local users to gain root privileges by modifying the file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2022
This vulnerability exists in Juniper Junos OS versions prior to specific release thresholds where the authentication mechanism fails to properly enforce password requirements for the root user account. The flaw specifically manifests when the pam.conf file becomes corrupted or improperly configured, creating a scenario where the system bypasses normal authentication procedures. This represents a critical weakness in the operating system's privilege management and authentication framework that directly undermines the principle of least privilege and secure access control. The vulnerability enables local attackers to escalate their privileges without proper authentication credentials, effectively providing unauthorized access to the most privileged account on the system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the improper handling of authentication configuration files within the Pluggable Authentication Modules framework. When pam.conf is corrupted, the system fails to enforce password validation for the root account, allowing any local user to assume root privileges simply by modifying the authentication configuration. This flaw operates at the system level and demonstrates poor input validation and configuration management practices. The vulnerability is classified as a privilege escalation issue where the system's authentication controls are bypassed through manipulation of core configuration files, representing a direct violation of security policies and access control mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides local users with complete administrative control over affected Juniper devices. This allows attackers to modify system configurations, access sensitive data, install malicious software, and potentially compromise the entire network infrastructure managed by these devices. The vulnerability affects a broad range of Juniper Junos OS versions, indicating a widespread issue that could impact numerous network devices across different organizational environments. This creates significant risk for organizations relying on Juniper networking equipment, as any local access could result in complete system compromise and potential data breaches.
Organizations should immediately implement patches and updates to affected Juniper Junos OS versions to remediate this vulnerability. System administrators must verify the integrity of pam.conf files and ensure proper authentication configurations are maintained. Regular security audits should include checks for configuration file corruption and proper privilege management. The mitigation strategy should also involve implementing additional access controls and monitoring mechanisms to detect unauthorized modifications to critical system files. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-276 which addresses improper privilege management, and represents a technique that could be categorized under ATT&CK tactic TA0004 Privilege Escalation. Organizations should also consider implementing file integrity monitoring solutions to prevent unauthorized modifications to authentication configuration files and maintain audit trails of all system changes.