CVE-2017-2305 in Junos Space
Summary
by MITRE
On Juniper Networks Junos Space versions prior to 16.1R1, due to an insufficient authorization check, readonly users on the Junos Space administrative web interface can create privileged users, allowing privilege escalation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-2305 represents a critical authorization flaw within Juniper Networks Junos Space platform versions prior to 16.1R1. This issue stems from inadequate access control mechanisms that fail to properly validate user privileges before permitting administrative actions. The vulnerability specifically affects the web-based administrative interface where readonly users can exploit a design flaw to create new privileged accounts, thereby gaining elevated system access that should be restricted to authorized administrators only.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the insufficient authorization checks within the Junos Space administrative web interface. When readonly users attempt to perform user creation operations through the web interface, the system fails to properly verify whether the current user possesses the necessary administrative privileges to execute such actions. This authorization bypass allows malicious or compromised readonly accounts to create new administrative user accounts with full system privileges, effectively undermining the principle of least privilege and role-based access control that forms the foundation of secure system administration.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of Junos Space deployments. Attackers who gain access to any readonly account can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent administrative access, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and unauthorized configuration changes. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on Junos Space for network management and monitoring, creating a significant risk for enterprises with complex network infrastructures where unauthorized administrative access could disrupt critical network operations and expose sensitive network data.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues in software systems, and demonstrates a clear violation of the principle of least privilege as defined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques under the T1068 category, specifically targeting the creation of new administrative accounts as a means to gain elevated system access. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Junos Space 16.1R1 or later versions, implementing additional monitoring for suspicious user creation activities, and conducting comprehensive access control reviews to ensure that readonly accounts maintain appropriate restrictions on administrative functions.
The remediation process requires organizations to perform immediate version upgrades to Junos Space 16.1R1 or higher, which contain the necessary authorization checks to prevent unauthorized user creation. Network administrators should also implement enhanced monitoring of user creation activities through log analysis and automated alerting systems to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should review and enforce strict access control policies ensuring that readonly users cannot perform administrative functions, and consider implementing multi-factor authentication for all administrative accounts to provide additional security layers beyond simple credential protection.