CVE-2017-1000203 in ROOT
Summary
by MITRE
ROOT version 6.9.03 and below is vulnerable to an authenticated shell metacharacter injection in the rootd daemon resulting in remote code execution
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1000203 affects ROOT version 6.9.03 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw in the rootd daemon component of the ROOT data analysis framework. This issue manifests as an authenticated shell metacharacter injection vulnerability that enables remote code execution when exploited by an attacker with valid credentials. The rootd daemon serves as a network service within ROOT that facilitates distributed computing operations, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for environments where the service is exposed to untrusted networks or where credential security may be compromised.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation within the rootd daemon's handling of user-provided data, specifically in how it processes parameters that are subsequently passed to shell commands without proper sanitization. When authenticated users interact with the rootd service, the system fails to properly escape or filter special shell metacharacters such as semicolons, ampersands, or command substitution operators that could allow attackers to inject arbitrary shell commands. This injection occurs during the processing of network requests that contain user-supplied parameters, which are then interpreted by the underlying shell without adequate protection mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with full remote code execution capabilities on systems running vulnerable versions of ROOT. An attacker with valid credentials can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the rootd daemon process, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The implications are particularly severe in research environments where ROOT is commonly used for data analysis, as these systems often contain sensitive research data and may be connected to broader network infrastructures. The authenticated nature of the vulnerability means that even if network segmentation is implemented, internal attackers with legitimate access could exploit this flaw to escalate their privileges and gain unauthorized access to additional system resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-1000203 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to version 6.9.04 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the input validation issues. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to rootd daemon services and enforce strict access controls for authentication mechanisms. Additional protective measures include monitoring network traffic for suspicious patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify shell command injection patterns, and conducting regular security assessments of the ROOT installation to identify potential attack vectors. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-78, which specifically addresses improper neutralization of special elements used in shell commands, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.004 for command and scripting interpreter, demonstrating the exploitation pathway through shell command injection. Organizations should also consider implementing privilege separation mechanisms and regularly reviewing access controls to minimize the potential impact of credential compromise.