CVE-2018-7058 in ClearPass
Summary
by MITRE
Aruba ClearPass, all versions of 6.6.x prior to 6.6.9 are affected by an authentication bypass vulnerability, an attacker can leverage this vulnerability to gain administrator privileges on the system. The vulnerability is exposed only on ClearPass web interfaces, including administrative, guest captive portal, and API. Customers who do not expose ClearPass web interfaces to untrusted users are impacted to a lesser extent.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/13/2020
The CVE-2018-7058 vulnerability represents a critical authentication bypass flaw in Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager software affecting all versions prior to 6.6.9 within the 6.6.x release line. This vulnerability fundamentally undermines the security posture of affected systems by allowing unauthorized individuals to escalate their privileges to administrative levels without proper authentication credentials. The flaw specifically targets the web interface components of ClearPass, which serve as the primary management and access control points for network security policies and user authentication services. The vulnerability's impact extends across multiple interface types including administrative consoles, guest captive portal systems, and application programming interfaces that facilitate integration with other network security solutions. Security researchers identified that the flaw stems from improper validation of authentication tokens and session management mechanisms within the web application layer, creating a pathway for attackers to circumvent the standard authentication process entirely. The vulnerability's exploitation potential is particularly concerning given that ClearPass serves as a central policy enforcement point in enterprise network security architectures, making it a prime target for attackers seeking persistent access to network infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this authentication bypass vulnerability resides in the flawed session handling and token validation logic within ClearPass web interfaces. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specific requests that manipulate session identifiers or authentication parameters to gain administrative access to the system. The vulnerability manifests when the application fails to properly validate user credentials or session state information, allowing attackers to bypass authentication checks through malformed requests or by reusing valid session tokens in unauthorized contexts. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which categorizes improper authentication flaws that enable attackers to assume the identity of other users or gain elevated privileges. The exploitation process typically involves intercepting valid session tokens or manipulating web application parameters to create unauthorized administrative sessions, effectively allowing attackers to perform any administrative function within the ClearPass environment. Network security professionals should note that this vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be particularly challenging to detect through traditional network monitoring tools since legitimate administrative sessions may appear normal to network security systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-7058 extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as successful exploitation provides attackers with complete administrative control over the ClearPass policy manager system. This level of access enables attackers to modify network access policies, create new user accounts with administrative privileges, disable security controls, and potentially gain access to sensitive network infrastructure through the ClearPass system. The vulnerability's exposure across multiple interface types increases the attack surface significantly, as attackers can target any of the exposed web interfaces to achieve their objectives. Organizations that expose ClearPass web interfaces to untrusted networks or internet-facing environments face the highest risk of exploitation, while those with restricted access controls experience reduced but still significant risk levels. The potential for lateral movement within network infrastructure increases substantially when attackers gain administrative access to ClearPass, as this system often serves as a central point for managing network access controls and user authentication policies. This vulnerability directly impacts the CIA triad by compromising confidentiality through unauthorized data access, integrity through potential policy manipulation, and availability through possible service disruption or denial of access.
Organizations affected by CVE-2018-7058 should immediately implement the vendor-provided patch release for ClearPass version 6.6.9, which addresses the authentication bypass vulnerability through improved session validation and token handling mechanisms. The patch specifically targets the flawed authentication logic that allowed attackers to bypass session validation checks and manipulate administrative access controls. Network security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any systems running vulnerable versions of ClearPass and ensure all web interfaces are properly secured. Access controls should be strengthened through network segmentation to limit exposure of ClearPass web interfaces to trusted internal networks only, following the principle of least privilege and reducing the attack surface. Organizations should implement additional monitoring controls to detect suspicious authentication attempts or unusual administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security professionals should also review and audit existing ClearPass configurations to ensure proper access controls are in place and that unnecessary web interfaces are disabled or properly secured. The vulnerability's exploitation aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, making it particularly relevant for organizations implementing threat hunting and incident response procedures. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities in other network security systems and ensure comprehensive protection against credential-based attacks.