CVE-2018-16417 in Instant
Summary
by MITRE
Aruba Instant 4.x prior to 6.4.4.8-4.2.4.12, 6.5.x prior to 6.5.4.11, 8.3.x prior to 8.3.0.6, and 8.4.x prior to 8.4.0.1 allows Command injection.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/29/2024
This vulnerability exists in Aruba Instant wireless access point firmware versions prior to specific patch releases, representing a critical command injection flaw that could enable unauthorized remote code execution. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the web interface and command processing mechanisms of the affected Aruba Instant software versions. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious input that gets executed as system commands, potentially allowing full control over the affected devices. The flaw specifically affects multiple major release branches including 4.x, 6.5.x, 8.3.x, and 8.4.x, indicating a widespread issue across the product line that required coordinated patching efforts across different version streams.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the improper handling of user-supplied input within command execution contexts. When legitimate administrative users or unauthorized attackers submit specially crafted parameters through web forms or API endpoints, the system fails to properly sanitize or escape these inputs before incorporating them into system commands. This creates an environment where malicious payloads can be interpreted and executed by the underlying operating system, effectively allowing attackers to run arbitrary commands with the privileges of the web server process. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes user input in a manner that directly concatenates or interpolates the input into shell command strings without proper validation or encoding.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass complete system compromise and potential network infiltration. An attacker who successfully exploits this command injection vulnerability could gain root-level access to the affected wireless access points, enabling them to modify network configurations, establish persistent backdoors, monitor network traffic, or use the compromised devices as launch points for further attacks against the internal network. The affected devices typically serve as critical network infrastructure components, making their compromise particularly dangerous for organizations relying on Aruba Instant solutions for wireless network management. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-77 and CWE-88 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, specifically addressing improper neutralization of special elements used in command execution contexts.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement comprehensive mitigation strategies to protect their wireless infrastructure. The primary and most effective remediation involves applying the vendor-supplied patches for each affected version stream, with particular attention to the specific patch versions mentioned in the CVE description. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of affected devices to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect anomalous command execution patterns. Additionally, implementing network-based intrusion detection systems and conducting thorough security assessments of wireless network configurations can help identify and remediate potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also aligns with several ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1021 for remote services, emphasizing the need for layered defensive approaches that address both network-level and application-level security controls.