CVE-2019-9945 in Cloud
Summary
by MITRE
SoftNAS Cloud 4.2.0 and 4.2.1 allows remote command execution. The NGINX default configuration file has a check to verify the status of a user cookie. If not set, a user is redirected to the login page. An arbitrary value can be provided for this cookie to access the web interface without valid user credentials. If customers have not followed SoftNAS deployment best practices and expose SoftNAS StorageCenter ports directly to the internet, this vulnerability allows an attacker to gain access to the Webadmin interface to create new users or execute arbitrary commands with administrative privileges, compromising both the platform and the data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-9945 affects SoftNAS Cloud versions 4.2.0 and 4.2.1, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote command execution through improper authentication mechanisms. This weakness stems from a flawed implementation in the NGINX default configuration where cookie validation serves as a gatekeeping mechanism for web interface access. The system's design relies on a cookie-based authentication check that fails to properly validate user credentials, creating an exploitable pathway for unauthorized access. When the required user cookie is absent, the system correctly redirects users to a login page, however the vulnerability emerges from the system's inability to properly handle arbitrary cookie values that can bypass this security measure entirely.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a straightforward but dangerous attack pattern that aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems. Attackers can simply craft malicious cookie values that satisfy the validation check without possessing legitimate credentials, effectively granting them administrative access to the SoftNAS StorageCenter web interface. This flaw represents a classic case of broken authentication where the system's security controls can be circumvented through predictable cookie manipulation. The vulnerability's impact is amplified when organizations fail to implement proper network segmentation and deployment best practices, leaving SoftNAS StorageCenter ports directly accessible from the internet.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability extend far beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with administrative privileges that enable complete system compromise. Once authenticated through the cookie manipulation technique, threat actors can create new user accounts with elevated permissions, modify system configurations, and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying platform. This level of access fundamentally compromises both the integrity and confidentiality of the storage infrastructure, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system corruption, or complete service disruption. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers need not have physical access to the network, making it particularly dangerous in cloud environments where exposure to internet-facing services is common.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to restrict direct internet access to SoftNAS StorageCenter ports, proper firewall configuration to limit access to trusted IP addresses, and mandatory deployment of the vendor-provided security patches. The ATT&CK framework's T1078.004 technique for valid accounts via web shell execution becomes highly relevant in this context, as attackers can leverage the compromised administrative access to establish persistent backdoors. Additionally, implementing robust monitoring solutions to detect anomalous cookie usage patterns and unusual administrative activities can help identify exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper authentication implementation and the dangers of exposing administrative interfaces directly to untrusted networks without proper security controls.