CVE-2017-6682 in Elastic Services Controller
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in the ConfD CLI of Cisco Elastic Services Controllers could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to run arbitrary commands as the Linux tomcat user on an affected system. More Information: CSCvc76620. Known Affected Releases: 2.2(9.76).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/27/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6682 resides within the ConfD Command Line Interface of Cisco Elastic Services Controllers, representing a critical security flaw that enables authenticated remote code execution. This issue affects version 2.2(9.76) and potentially other releases within the same product line, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on Cisco's elastic services infrastructure. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation mechanisms within the CLI component that processes user commands, allowing maliciously crafted inputs to bypass normal execution paths and escalate privileges to the Linux tomcat user account.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the ConfD CLI interface where an authenticated attacker can submit specially crafted commands that are then interpreted and executed by the underlying system. This flaw falls under the CWE-78 category of Command Injection, specifically manifesting as a privilege escalation vulnerability where the attacker's commands execute with the elevated privileges of the tomcat user rather than the standard user context. The attack vector requires network access to the affected system and valid authentication credentials, making it a remote authenticated threat that can be leveraged by attackers who have already gained access to the system through other means.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to affected organizations as it allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the target system with tomcat user privileges, which typically have significant access to web application resources and potentially sensitive data. The tomcat user account often possesses permissions to read configuration files, access databases, and manipulate web applications hosted on the system, creating potential pathways for further compromise and lateral movement within the network. Attackers could use this capability to install backdoors, exfiltrate data, or establish persistent access to the compromised infrastructure.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates that address this specific vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of the affected systems to untrusted networks, while monitoring should be implemented to detect anomalous CLI usage patterns. The implementation of least privilege principles for user accounts and regular security audits of CLI configurations can help reduce the impact of such vulnerabilities. This issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically focusing on the execution of commands through CLI interfaces, and demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and privilege separation in network infrastructure components.