CVE-2017-4997 in VASA Provider Virtual Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
EMC VASA Provider Virtual Appliance versions 8.3.x and prior has an unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability that could potentially be exploited by malicious users to compromise the affected system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2020
The EMC VASA Provider Virtual Appliance represents a critical security vulnerability classified as CVE-2017-4997, affecting versions 8.3.x and earlier installations. This vulnerability manifests as an unauthenticated remote code execution flaw that fundamentally compromises the security posture of affected systems. The vulnerability resides within the virtual appliance's architecture and provides malicious actors with the ability to execute arbitrary code without requiring authentication credentials, creating a severe risk for organizations relying on EMC's virtual storage array provider solutions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and authentication mechanisms within the VASA provider's remote management interfaces. Attackers can exploit this weakness by sending specially crafted requests to the appliance's web services or management ports, bypassing normal authentication procedures entirely. This flaw operates at the application layer and leverages the appliance's exposed network services to establish remote execution capabilities. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege by allowing unauthorized remote access to system resources.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-4997 extends far beyond simple system compromise, as it provides attackers with complete control over the affected virtual appliance. Once exploited, malicious users can install persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, modify storage configurations, and potentially use the compromised appliance as a pivot point to attack other systems within the network. The vulnerability's unauthenticated nature means that any user with network access to the appliance can exploit it, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network segmentation is inadequate. Organizations may experience complete data loss, system downtime, and regulatory compliance violations that could result in significant financial and reputational damage.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including network segmentation to isolate the affected appliances from general network access, disabling unnecessary services and ports, and applying the latest security patches provided by EMC. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security controls and implementing robust network monitoring to detect anomalous access patterns. Security teams should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems specifically configured to identify exploitation attempts of similar remote code execution vulnerabilities. This incident highlights the necessity of following ATT&CK framework principles for defensive measures, particularly focusing on network defense and credential hygiene to prevent unauthorized access to critical infrastructure components.