CVE-2018-7079 in ClearPass Policy Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager guest authorization failure. Certain administrative operations in ClearPass Guest do not properly enforce authorization rules, which allows any authenticated administrative user to execute those operations regardless of privilege level. This could allow low-privilege users to view, modify, or delete guest users. Resolution: Fixed in 6.7.6 and 6.6.10-hotfix.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/19/2020
The CVE-2018-7079 vulnerability affects Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager, a comprehensive network access control solution that manages guest user access and authentication. This flaw represents a critical authorization bypass issue within the ClearPass Guest component that undermines the fundamental security model of the system. The vulnerability specifically targets administrative operations within the guest user management functionality, where proper access controls fail to validate user privileges before executing sensitive operations. This weakness stems from inadequate input validation and privilege enforcement mechanisms that allow any authenticated administrative user to bypass normal authorization checks and perform operations that should be restricted to higher-privilege accounts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic privilege escalation flaw that aligns with CWE-285, which describes improper authorization within software systems. The flaw occurs because the ClearPass Guest module does not properly validate administrative privileges before executing critical operations such as viewing, modifying, or deleting guest user accounts. This allows low-privilege administrative users to perform actions that should require elevated permissions, effectively creating a backdoor for unauthorized access to guest user data. The vulnerability exists in the authentication and authorization framework where the system fails to properly enforce role-based access controls that should separate different levels of administrative access.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on ClearPass for guest network access management. Attackers who gain access to any administrative account, regardless of their assigned privilege level, can exploit this flaw to manipulate guest user accounts and potentially gain access to sensitive information or disrupt network services. The impact extends beyond simple data access, as unauthorized modifications to guest user records could lead to account lockouts, privilege escalation, or even complete compromise of the guest access system. Organizations may face regulatory compliance issues if guest user data is accessed or modified without proper authorization, particularly in environments subject to privacy regulations such as gdpr or hipaa.
The resolution for this vulnerability required specific patch releases addressing the authorization bypass issue in ClearPass Policy Manager. Version 6.7.6 and the 6.6.10-hotfix contain the necessary code modifications to properly enforce authorization rules within the guest management operations. These updates implement proper privilege validation checks that ensure administrative operations are only executed by users with appropriate authorization levels. Organizations should immediately apply these patches to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access to guest user accounts and maintain compliance with security standards. The fix addresses the underlying authorization flaw by implementing proper access control enforcement mechanisms that align with industry best practices for privilege management and role-based access control as recommended by nist cybersecurity framework and iso 27001 standards.
This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper access control implementation in network security systems and demonstrates how insufficient authorization checks can create significant security risks. The flaw represents a failure in the principle of least privilege enforcement, where administrative users should only have access to functions necessary for their specific role. The attack surface for this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it affects the core administrative functionality of the ClearPass system, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges and access other system components through guest user account manipulation. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments to identify similar authorization bypass issues in their network infrastructure and implement comprehensive access control policies to prevent unauthorized system access.