CVE-2017-8117 in UMA
Summary
by MITRE
The UMA product with software V200R001 and V300R001 has a privilege elevation vulnerability due to insufficient validation or improper processing of parameters. An attacker could craft specific packets to exploit these vulnerabilities to gain elevated privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/11/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-8117 affects the UMA (Unified Management Architecture) product across software versions V200R001 and V300R001, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that undermines the security posture of affected systems. This vulnerability stems from inadequate parameter validation mechanisms within the software architecture, creating an exploitable condition where malicious actors can manipulate system behavior through crafted network packets. The flaw exists at the core of the authentication and authorization processing logic, where input parameters are not sufficiently verified before being processed, allowing unauthorized privilege elevation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic improper input validation issue that aligns with CWE-20, which specifically addresses "Improper Input Validation" in software systems. The vulnerability operates by exploiting the parameter handling mechanisms within the UMA product's network communication protocols, where attackers can construct specially formatted packets that bypass normal access controls. These crafted packets manipulate the system's interpretation of user credentials or session data, enabling attackers to escalate their privileges from standard user levels to administrative or root access. The flaw particularly affects the product's ability to properly authenticate and authorize network requests, creating a pathway for unauthorized system control.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations deploying affected UMA products, as it allows remote attackers to gain unauthorized administrative access to critical network infrastructure. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation, potentially enabling complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and network infiltration. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access, manipulate system configurations, and potentially use the elevated privileges to launch further attacks against other systems within the network perimeter. The remote exploit capability means that attackers do not require physical access or local network presence to initiate the attack, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments.
The security implications of CVE-2017-8117 align with several ATT&CK framework techniques including privilege escalation and command and control operations. The vulnerability creates opportunities for attackers to move laterally within networks and establish persistent access through the elevated privileges gained. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring to detect anomalous packet patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input sanitization and parameter validation in network security systems, as recommended by industry best practices for secure coding and vulnerability management. Mitigation strategies should include immediate software updates, network access controls, and enhanced monitoring of authentication and authorization events to detect potential exploitation attempts.
Security professionals should prioritize patch management for affected systems and implement network monitoring solutions capable of detecting the specific packet patterns associated with this vulnerability. The remediation process requires careful consideration of system downtime and rollback procedures, as well as comprehensive testing to ensure that patches do not introduce new compatibility issues. Organizations should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify other potential similar flaws in their network infrastructure and implement defense-in-depth strategies that include multiple layers of security controls to protect against privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of robust input validation and proper access control mechanisms in network security systems, particularly in enterprise environments where unauthorized access can result in significant operational and financial consequences.