CVE-2017-16641 in Cacti
Summary
by MITRE
lib/rrd.php in Cacti 1.1.27 allows remote authenticated administrators to execute arbitrary OS commands via the path_rrdtool parameter in an action=save request to settings.php.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-16641 resides within the Cacti monitoring system version 1.1.27, specifically in the lib/rrd.php file. This flaw represents a critical security issue that enables authenticated administrative users to execute arbitrary operating system commands remotely. The vulnerability manifests through the path_rrdtool parameter within an action=save request directed at the settings.php endpoint, creating a dangerous command injection vector that can be exploited by malicious actors with administrative privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the Cacti application's settings handling mechanism. When an authenticated administrator modifies system settings through the web interface, the application fails to properly sanitize the path_rrdtool parameter before incorporating it into system commands. This allows attackers to inject malicious command sequences that get executed with the privileges of the web server process, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability operates under CWE-77 which classifies it as a command injection flaw, where user-supplied input is directly concatenated into command strings without proper escaping or validation.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations relying on Cacti for network monitoring and system administration. An attacker who gains administrative access to a Cacti instance can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying server, potentially escalating privileges, accessing sensitive data, or establishing persistent backdoors. The impact extends beyond immediate command execution as it can lead to full system compromise, data exfiltration, and disruption of monitoring services that organizations depend upon for operational visibility. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically targeting the execution of system commands through web interfaces.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including applying the official security patch released by Cacti developers for version 1.1.27 and subsequent releases. Network segmentation and least privilege access controls should be enforced to limit administrative access to only necessary personnel. Input validation should be strengthened at multiple layers including web application firewalls and application-level sanitization. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other system components. Additionally, monitoring for suspicious command execution patterns and implementing proper logging of administrative activities can help detect exploitation attempts and provide forensic evidence for incident response activities.