CVE-2018-11169 in DR Series Disk Backup
Summary
by MITRE
Quest DR Series Disk Backup software version before 4.0.3.1 allows command injection (issue 27 of 46).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2023
The CVE-2018-11169 vulnerability affects Quest DR Series Disk Backup software versions prior to 4.0.3.1 and represents a critical command injection flaw that enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. This vulnerability resides within the software's handling of user-supplied input during backup operations, specifically in the way the system processes and executes commands without proper sanitization or validation. The issue manifests as a failure to properly escape or filter command parameters that are passed to underlying operating system functions, creating a pathway for malicious input to be interpreted and executed as system commands rather than treated as data.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts malicious input that bypasses input validation mechanisms and gets processed through the backup software's command execution pipeline. This flaw falls under the CWE-77 category of Command Injection, which is classified as a high-severity vulnerability in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by its location within backup software, which typically operates with elevated privileges and has access to critical system resources and data. Attackers can leverage this weakness to execute commands with the same privileges as the backup service account, potentially leading to full system compromise or data exfiltration.
From an operational perspective, the vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Quest DR Series for their backup infrastructure. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers can potentially compromise systems without requiring local access or credentials, making the attack surface particularly concerning for enterprise environments. The backup software's role in data protection makes this vulnerability especially dangerous as it can be used to either destroy backup data, gain persistent access to systems, or facilitate further attacks within the network. The issue is particularly severe in environments where backup systems are not properly segmented or isolated from production systems, as the attack can potentially escalate to full network compromise.
Organizations should immediately apply the patch released by Quest Software for version 4.0.3.1 to remediate this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive network segmentation of backup systems to limit potential attack vectors, implementing strict input validation and sanitization measures, and conducting regular security assessments of backup infrastructure. Additionally, organizations should review their backup configurations to ensure that backup services operate with the principle of least privilege and that proper access controls are implemented. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework as a command injection technique highlights the need for defensive measures such as input validation controls, application whitelisting, and network monitoring to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems specifically configured to identify suspicious command execution patterns that may indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.