CVE-2019-16652 in Genius Server
Summary
by MITRE
The BPM component in Genius Bytes Genius Server (Genius CDDS) 3.2.2 allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary commands.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-16652 resides within the Business Process Management (BPM) component of Genius Bytes Genius Server, specifically version 3.2.2, which is part of the Genius CDDS suite. This critical security flaw enables remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary commands on the affected system, representing a severe privilege escalation and remote code execution vulnerability. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on this server software for their business process automation and data management operations.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and improper sanitization of user-supplied data within the BPM component. When authenticated users submit maliciously crafted requests through the server interface, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize the input parameters before processing them. This allows attackers to inject and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability is classified as a command injection flaw, which aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-94 categories, representing a critical weakness in input validation and code execution control.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial for organizations using Genius Server 3.2.2, as it provides attackers with a direct pathway to execute malicious code remotely. Once exploited, the vulnerability could enable attackers to gain full control over the server, potentially leading to data breaches, system destruction, or use as a pivot point for attacking other systems within the network. The authenticated nature of the vulnerability means that attackers must first obtain valid credentials, but this is often achievable through various social engineering, credential stuffing, or other attack vectors that are commonly successful in enterprise environments.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest version of Genius Server that addresses this vulnerability, applying vendor-provided patches, and implementing network segmentation to limit access to the affected system. Additional defensive measures include implementing strong access controls, monitoring for unusual command execution patterns, and conducting regular security assessments. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques including T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) as attackers leverage legitimate accounts to execute malicious commands. Network administrators should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures to quickly address potential breaches.