CVE-2017-6407 in NetBackup
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Veritas NetBackup Before 7.7.2 and NetBackup Appliance Before 2.7.2. Privileged remote command execution on NetBackup Server and Client (on the server or a connected client) can occur.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6407 represents a critical remote code execution flaw affecting Veritas NetBackup server and client components across multiple versions. This security weakness stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms that allow authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. The vulnerability specifically impacts NetBackup Server versions prior to 7.7.2 and NetBackup Appliance versions prior to 2.7.2, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors who can leverage this flaw to gain elevated privileges and compromise the integrity of backup infrastructure. The issue fundamentally undermines the security model of the NetBackup platform by allowing attackers to bypass normal access controls and execute commands with the privileges of the NetBackup service account.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through improper sanitization of user-supplied input within the NetBackup server and client applications. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious commands that are processed by the affected software without adequate validation or filtering mechanisms. This flaw typically manifests when the application receives input from remote clients or network connections and fails to properly validate or escape special characters that could be interpreted as command sequences. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-78 categories from the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog, which specifically address command injection vulnerabilities that arise from insufficient input filtering and improper handling of command arguments. Network-based attacks can leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary code on target systems, potentially leading to full system compromise or unauthorized access to backup data repositories.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-6407 extends beyond simple remote code execution to encompass broader security implications for enterprise backup environments. Organizations utilizing affected NetBackup versions face potential data breaches, system compromise, and unauthorized access to sensitive backup data that could include critical business information, customer records, and proprietary assets. The vulnerability's privileged execution capability means that successful exploitation can result in attackers gaining administrative control over backup servers and clients, potentially allowing them to modify backup schedules, access backup data, or even delete critical backup sets. This threat model aligns with ATT&CK techniques categorized under T1059 for command and script interpreter execution, and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that rely heavily on NetBackup for their data protection strategies. The vulnerability essentially transforms backup infrastructure from a protective security control into a potential attack vector.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches and updates for NetBackup Server version 7.7.2 and NetBackup Appliance version 2.7.2 to remediate the vulnerability. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit exposure of NetBackup components to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect unusual command execution patterns or unauthorized access attempts. Security administrators should also review and restrict network access to NetBackup services, implementing firewall rules that limit communication to trusted sources only. The remediation process should include comprehensive vulnerability scanning of all NetBackup installations to identify potentially affected systems, followed by thorough testing of patches in non-production environments before deployment. Additionally, organizations should conduct security awareness training for administrators to recognize potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures specifically tailored to address remote code execution vulnerabilities in backup infrastructure.