CVE-2018-20052 in Connectivity Engine
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered on Cerner Connectivity Engine (CCE) 4 devices. The user running the main CCE firmware has NOPASSWD sudo privileges to several utilities that could be used to escalate privileges to root. One example is the "sudo ln -s /tmp/script /etc/cron.hourly/script" command.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/07/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-20052 affects Cerner Connectivity Engine (CCE) 4 devices, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw within healthcare IT infrastructure. This issue stems from improper sudo configuration that grants non-root users elevated system privileges without password authentication. The affected devices operate within the medical environment where CCE serves as a critical connectivity layer between various healthcare systems and devices, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for patient safety and data integrity.
The technical flaw manifests through the NOPASSWD sudo privileges assigned to specific utilities within the CCE firmware. This configuration allows authenticated users to execute certain commands with root privileges without providing authentication credentials. The vulnerability is exemplified by the command pattern sudo ln -s /tmp/script /etc/cron.hourly/script, which demonstrates how an attacker could leverage this privilege to place malicious executables in system cron directories. This particular example represents a well-known attack vector for privilege escalation, where symbolic links are used to manipulate system execution paths and gain root access to the underlying operating system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to gain full control over CCE devices that are integral to healthcare operations. These devices typically handle sensitive medical data and critical system communications, making unauthorized access potentially catastrophic for patient care and healthcare facility security. The vulnerability creates a persistent backdoor that could allow attackers to maintain long-term access to the system while executing arbitrary code with root privileges. This risk is compounded by the fact that CCE devices often operate in networked environments where they may serve as entry points for broader attacks against hospital networks and medical device ecosystems.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper privileges, and follows attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation techniques. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including restricting sudo privileges to only essential utilities, implementing proper access controls, and conducting comprehensive audits of all sudo configurations on healthcare devices. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring of suspicious sudo usage patterns should be deployed to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the critical need for proper security hardening in medical device environments where the stakes for system compromise are significantly higher than typical enterprise systems.