CVE-2016-7547 in Threat Discovery Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
A command execution flaw on the Trend Micro Threat Discovery Appliance 2.6.1062r1 exists with the timezone parameter in the admin_sys_time.cgi interface.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2022
The Trend Micro Threat Discovery Appliance represents a critical security infrastructure component designed to provide advanced threat detection and analysis capabilities for enterprise environments. This appliance serves as a centralized platform for monitoring network traffic and identifying potential security threats through sophisticated pattern matching and behavioral analysis. The specific vulnerability identified in version 2.6.1062r1 affects the administrative web interface, specifically the admin_sys_time.cgi script that handles system time configuration parameters. This interface provides administrators with the ability to configure various system settings including timezone information, which is essential for proper logging and time-stamped security event correlation across networked systems.
The technical flaw manifests as a command injection vulnerability within the timezone parameter processing functionality. When an attacker submits malicious input through the timezone parameter in the admin_sys_time.cgi interface, the application fails to properly sanitize or validate the input before incorporating it into system commands. This allows arbitrary command execution with the privileges of the web application process, which typically runs with elevated system permissions. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and improper command construction practices, where user-supplied data is directly concatenated into shell commands without proper escaping or filtering mechanisms. This type of vulnerability is classified as a command injection flaw and aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-88 categories, representing a fundamental failure in input sanitization and command execution security practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass complete system compromise and potential lateral movement within affected networks. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can execute arbitrary commands on the appliance, potentially gaining access to sensitive security logs, modifying system configurations, or using the appliance as a pivot point to attack other systems within the network perimeter. The appliance's role as a central threat detection system means that compromising it could provide attackers with visibility into network traffic patterns and security events, potentially enabling them to evade detection while conducting further malicious activities. This vulnerability also poses significant risk to the integrity of security monitoring and incident response capabilities, as attackers could manipulate or disable logging functions to cover their tracks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of the Trend Micro Threat Discovery Appliance to the latest available version that addresses the command injection flaw. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the appliance's administrative interface, ensuring that only authorized personnel with legitimate administrative needs can reach the vulnerable interface. Access controls should be strengthened through the implementation of multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts and the use of dedicated administrative networks with restricted access. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious command execution patterns and unusual administrative activities. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other potential command injection vulnerabilities in similar web applications or network security devices. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and secure coding practices, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and script injection, and highlights the need for continuous security testing and monitoring of critical infrastructure components. The vulnerability also underscores the necessity of implementing defense-in-depth strategies that include network access controls, monitoring, and regular security updates to protect against exploitation of known security flaws.