CVE-2018-16660 in SecureSphere
Summary
by MITRE
A command injection vulnerability in PWS in Imperva SecureSphere 13.0.0.10 and 13.1.0.10 Gateway allows an attacker with authenticated access to execute arbitrary OS commands on a vulnerable installation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2024
The command injection vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-16660 resides within Imperva SecureSphere's PWS component, specifically affecting versions 13.0.0.10 and 13.1.0.10 Gateway installations. This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of the secure application delivery platform designed to protect web applications from various cyber threats. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-77 as a command injection weakness, where an attacker can manipulate input parameters to execute arbitrary operating system commands on the affected system. SecureSphere is a comprehensive web application firewall and data protection solution that provides security monitoring, threat prevention, and compliance management capabilities for enterprise environments. The PWS component specifically handles proxy and web services functionality, making it a critical pathway for legitimate system operations and a potentially dangerous attack vector when compromised.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through improper input validation within the PWS gateway component, where user-supplied data is not adequately sanitized before being processed in system command contexts. Attackers with authenticated access can exploit this flaw by crafting malicious input that gets interpreted as executable commands rather than data, effectively bypassing the application's intended security controls. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access, meaning that an attacker who has already gained legitimate credentials can leverage this weakness to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary OS commands with the privileges of the affected service account. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically targeting Windows Command Shell execution contexts within the application's processing pipeline.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple command execution capabilities, as it provides attackers with complete system control over vulnerable SecureSphere installations. Once exploited, an attacker can access sensitive configuration data, extract protected application information, modify system settings, and potentially establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability undermines the core security assumptions of the SecureSphere platform, as it allows malicious actors to bypass the very protections the system was designed to provide. Organizations using affected versions face potential data breaches, service disruption, and compliance violations that could result in significant financial and reputational damage. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where SecureSphere serves as a critical security control for protecting web applications and sensitive data assets.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-16660 should prioritize immediate patch application from Imperva, as the vendor has released security updates addressing this specific vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to SecureSphere installations, enforce strict access controls and authentication mechanisms, and conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify potential exploitation attempts. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious traffic patterns, establishing robust logging and monitoring procedures to detect command injection attempts, and conducting regular security audits of the SecureSphere configuration. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and proper sanitization practices in security-critical applications, aligning with security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-160 and ISO 27001 standards for secure application development and deployment.