CVE-2018-11061 in RSA NetWitness Platform
Summary
by MITRE
RSA NetWitness Platform versions prior to 11.1.0.2 and RSA Security Analytics versions prior to 10.6.6 are vulnerable to a server-side template injection vulnerability due to insecure configuration of the template engine used in the product. A remote authenticated malicious RSA NetWitness Server user with an Admin or Operator role could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary commands on the server with root privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-11061 represents a critical server-side template injection flaw affecting RSA NetWitness Platform and RSA Security Analytics products. This issue stems from improper configuration of the template engine component within these security monitoring solutions, creating a pathway for exploitation that can result in complete system compromise. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions prior to 11.1.0.2 for NetWitness Platform and 10.6.6 for Security Analytics, indicating that these products contained insufficient input validation mechanisms that allowed malicious template code to be processed and executed on the server side.
The technical nature of this flaw places it squarely within the scope of CWE-74, which describes improper neutralization of special elements used in a template engine. The vulnerability occurs when user-supplied input is directly processed through a template engine without adequate sanitization or validation, allowing attackers to inject malicious template syntax that gets executed as part of the rendering process. This particular implementation flaw enables authenticated attackers with administrative or operator privileges to manipulate template parameters and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying server system. The privilege escalation aspect is particularly concerning as it allows attackers to gain root-level access, which provides complete control over the affected system and its resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple command execution, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of organizations relying on these platforms for network monitoring and security analytics. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can perform a wide range of malicious activities including data exfiltration, system reconnaissance, persistence establishment, and lateral movement within the network. The fact that this requires only an authenticated user with administrative or operator privileges means that insider threats or compromised accounts could immediately leverage this vulnerability to achieve system compromise. From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to the attack pattern described in MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability by upgrading to the patched versions of RSA NetWitness Platform 11.1.0.2 or RSA Security Analytics 10.6.6, which contain proper template engine configurations and input validation controls. Additional mitigations should include implementing network segmentation to limit access to these systems, enforcing strict access controls with principle of least privilege, and monitoring for suspicious template-related activities. Security teams should also consider implementing application firewalls or web application firewalls to detect and block potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper template engine security configuration and demonstrates how seemingly minor configuration issues can result in catastrophic security implications, particularly in security monitoring platforms where privileged access is required for legitimate administrative functions.