CVE-2017-18044 in Commvault
Summary
by MITRE
A Command Injection issue was discovered in ContentStore/Base/CVDataPipe.dll in Commvault before v11 SP6. A certain message parsing function inside the Commvault service does not properly validate the input of an incoming string before passing it to CreateProcess. As a result, a specially crafted message can inject commands that will be executed on the target operating system. Exploitation of this vulnerability does not require authentication and can lead to SYSTEM level privilege on any system running the cvd daemon. This is a different vulnerability than CVE-2017-3195.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-18044 represents a critical command injection flaw within Commvault's ContentStore/Base/CVDataPipe.dll component, affecting versions prior to v11 SP6. This issue resides in the core messaging infrastructure of the Commvault backup and recovery platform, which is widely deployed across enterprise environments for data protection services. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within a message parsing function that processes incoming strings without proper sanitization before executing system commands through the CreateProcess API. The flaw specifically targets the cvd daemon process that operates with elevated privileges, making the attack surface particularly dangerous for enterprise systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic command injection pattern where user-controllable input flows directly into system execution contexts without proper validation or escaping mechanisms. When the Commvault service receives a specially crafted message containing malicious command sequences, the parsing function fails to sanitize the input before passing it to the Windows CreateProcess function. This allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the cvd daemon process, which typically operates with SYSTEM level privileges on Windows systems. The vulnerability's exploitation requires no authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered by any entity capable of communicating with the Commvault service.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-18044 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass complete system compromise and data exfiltration capabilities. Since the cvd daemon runs with SYSTEM privileges, successful exploitation provides attackers with unrestricted access to the underlying operating system, including the ability to modify system files, install persistent backdoors, and access sensitive data stored on the compromised system. The vulnerability affects any system running the affected Commvault service, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where backup servers often contain extensive access to critical organizational data. Network-based attacks can be executed from external systems, potentially allowing remote exploitation without requiring physical access to the target infrastructure.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-78, which specifically addresses "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command," and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter. The attack vector demonstrates how unvalidated input in service components can be leveraged for remote code execution, with the attack requiring only network connectivity to the Commvault service ports. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches for Commvault v11 SP6, implementing network segmentation to restrict access to Commvault services, and monitoring for suspicious command execution patterns in system logs. The vulnerability's classification as a remote code execution flaw without authentication requirements places it in the high-risk category for enterprise security teams, particularly those managing backup and recovery infrastructure that often serves as a critical attack target in enterprise environments.
The broader implications of this vulnerability highlight the importance of input validation in service-oriented architectures and demonstrate how critical infrastructure components can serve as attack vectors for system compromise. Security teams should consider implementing additional monitoring for command execution patterns and establish baseline system behavior to detect anomalous activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also underscores the necessity of regular security assessments of backup and recovery systems, which are often overlooked in traditional security monitoring programs but represent significant attack surfaces due to their privileged execution contexts and critical role in enterprise data protection.