CVE-2017-6223 in Zone Director Controller
Summary
by MITRE
Ruckus Wireless Zone Director Controller firmware releases ZD9.9.x, ZD9.10.x, ZD9.13.0.x less than 9.13.0.0.232 contain OS Command Injection vulnerabilities in the ping functionality that could allow local authenticated users to execute arbitrary privileged commands on the underlying operating system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/24/2019
The CVE-2017-6223 vulnerability represents a critical operating system command injection flaw discovered in Ruckus Wireless Zone Director Controller firmware versions prior to 9.13.0.0.232. This vulnerability specifically affects the ping functionality within the wireless network management system, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on Ruckus networking equipment. The flaw exists in firmware releases including ZD9.9.x, ZD9.10.x, and ZD9.13.0.x, making it a widespread issue across multiple version branches of the Zone Director platform.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the ping command implementation. When authenticated users submit ping requests through the Zone Director interface, the system fails to properly sanitize user-supplied parameters before executing system commands. This allows attackers to inject malicious commands that are then executed with the privileges of the underlying operating system. The vulnerability is classified as an operating system command injection according to CWE-77, which specifically addresses situations where user-controllable input is directly incorporated into system commands without proper sanitization or escaping mechanisms. The flaw enables attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple command execution, as it provides attackers with the ability to manipulate the entire underlying operating system. Local authenticated users can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to system resources, modify network configurations, escalate privileges, and potentially establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. The Zone Director serves as a central management point for wireless networks, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous as it could allow attackers to compromise entire wireless deployments. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) techniques, demonstrating how the initial command injection can be leveraged for broader system compromise.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including firmware updates to version 9.13.0.0.232 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the command injection flaw. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit local authentication access to the Zone Director system. Additionally, implementing monitoring solutions that detect unusual command execution patterns and conducting regular security assessments of wireless infrastructure components can help identify potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and privilege separation in network management systems, as outlined in security best practices from NIST SP 800-171 and ISO 27001 standards, which emphasize the need for robust access controls and secure coding practices to prevent unauthorized system manipulation.