CVE-2018-14860 in Community
Summary
by MITRE
Improper sanitization of dynamic user expressions in Odoo Community 11.0 and earlier and Odoo Enterprise 11.0 and earlier allows authenticated privileged users to escape from the dynamic expression sandbox and execute arbitrary code on the hosting system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/17/2023
This vulnerability exists in Odoo Community and Enterprise versions 11.0 and earlier where improper sanitization of dynamic user expressions creates a critical security flaw that allows authenticated privileged users to bypass sandbox restrictions. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the expression evaluation system, specifically affecting the qweb templating engine and dynamic expression processing capabilities. Attackers with authenticated access can exploit this weakness to escape the confined execution environment and execute arbitrary code on the underlying hosting system. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires only authenticated access rather than administrative privileges, making it exploitable by users with limited permissions who can still leverage this flaw for system compromise.
The technical root cause of CVE-2018-14860 lies in the inadequate sanitization of dynamic expressions within Odoo's expression engine, which operates under CWE-74 principles related to improper neutralization of special elements. The system fails to properly validate and sanitize user inputs before processing them as dynamic expressions, creating an environment where malicious code can be injected and executed. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and script injection, as attackers can craft expressions that bypass security controls and execute arbitrary commands. The flaw affects the qweb templating system where dynamic expressions are evaluated, allowing attackers to manipulate the expression parsing logic to achieve code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables authenticated users with limited privileges to escalate their access and potentially compromise the entire system. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious commands, gain persistent access, or extract sensitive data from the system. The vulnerability affects organizations using Odoo versions 11.0 and earlier, which were widely deployed in enterprise environments, making the potential impact substantial. The risk is amplified by the fact that many organizations may not have implemented proper access controls or monitoring mechanisms to detect such unauthorized code execution attempts. This vulnerability essentially provides a backdoor for attackers to move laterally within the system and potentially access other resources or systems connected to the Odoo deployment.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to patched versions of Odoo that address this vulnerability, as no effective workarounds exist for this specific flaw. The recommended mitigation strategy involves implementing strict access controls and monitoring for unusual expression evaluation patterns, though these measures do not fully address the underlying security issue. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit the potential impact if the vulnerability is exploited. Regular security assessments and code reviews focusing on expression evaluation systems can help identify similar vulnerabilities in other applications. Additionally, organizations should ensure that all users have appropriate least privilege access and that regular security training is provided to prevent unauthorized access to systems that could be exploited through this vulnerability. The incident highlights the critical importance of proper input sanitization and sandboxing mechanisms in applications that process dynamic user inputs, particularly in enterprise content management systems.