CVE-2017-6184 in Web Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
In Sophos Web Appliance (SWA) before 4.3.1.2, a section of the machine's interface responsible for generating reports was vulnerable to remote command injection via the token parameter, aka NSWA-1303.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/31/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6184 affects Sophos Web Appliance versions prior to 4.3.1.2, specifically targeting the report generation functionality within the web interface. This issue represents a critical security flaw that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the affected system through manipulation of the token parameter. The vulnerability exists within the appliance's web-based management interface, which is typically accessible over HTTP or HTTPS protocols, making it exploitable from external networks without requiring authentication or prior access to the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and sanitization within the report generation module. When the system processes the token parameter, it fails to adequately sanitize user-supplied input, allowing malicious payloads to be executed within the context of the web server process. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 which specifically addresses command injection flaws, where untrusted data is incorporated into system commands without proper validation or encoding. The vulnerability can be exploited through a carefully crafted HTTP request that includes malicious command sequences within the token parameter, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary system commands with the privileges of the web server process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it provides attackers with complete remote command execution capabilities on the affected Sophos Web Appliance. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to the underlying operating system, potentially leading to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or the ability to pivot to other systems within the network. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability affects a web-based management interface that is often exposed to external networks for administrative purposes, making it accessible to attackers without requiring physical access or network credentials.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, and T1566 for phishing with malicious attachments or links. The vulnerability's remote exploitability without authentication makes it particularly attractive to automated attack tools and threat actors seeking to compromise enterprise security infrastructure. Organizations running affected versions of Sophos Web Appliance face significant risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and potential use as a foothold for broader network infiltration attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation and proper sanitization of user-supplied data in web applications, particularly in security appliances that handle sensitive network traffic and administrative functions.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate deployment of Sophos Web Appliance version 4.3.1.2 or later, which includes patches addressing the command injection vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the appliance's management interface, enforce strong access controls, and monitor network traffic for suspicious command execution patterns. Additionally, administrators should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other potentially affected systems within their network infrastructure and ensure proper input validation mechanisms are in place across all web applications and interfaces.