CVE-2020-24638 in Airwave Glass
Summary
by MITRE • 01/16/2021
Multiple authenticated remote command executions are possible in Airwave Glass before 1.3.3 via the glassadmin cli. These allow for a user with glassadmin privileges to execute arbitrary code as root on the underlying host operating system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-24638 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the Airwave Glass management system prior to version 1.3.3. This issue affects organizations utilizing Aruba Networks Airwave Glass for wireless network management, where the system provides administrative command-line interface access through the glassadmin user role. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the command execution pathways of the glassadmin cli component, creating a direct avenue for authenticated attackers to escalate their privileges and execute arbitrary commands with root-level system access.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the glassadmin command-line interface, which permits users with glassadmin privileges to perform administrative operations on the underlying host operating system. When authenticated users interact with specific command sequences within the glassadmin cli, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize user inputs before passing them to system execution functions. This lack of proper input sanitization creates a command injection vulnerability that allows attackers to craft malicious input sequences that bypass normal access controls and execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The flaw directly maps to CWE-77 which describes improper neutralization of special elements used in command execution contexts, and represents a classic privilege escalation vector through command injection.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-24638 is severe and potentially catastrophic for affected organizations. An attacker with glassadmin credentials can immediately escalate to root privileges and gain complete control over the underlying host operating system. This level of access enables the attacker to modify system configurations, install backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, disable security controls, and potentially compromise other systems within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects the core management functionality of Airwave Glass, which typically serves as a central point of administration for wireless networks, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking persistent access to critical network infrastructure. The impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' and T1566 which covers 'Phishing for Information' as attackers may use this vulnerability to establish persistent access after initial compromise.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to Airwave Glass version 1.3.3 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the command injection vulnerability. Network segmentation should be implemented to limit access to the glassadmin cli to only authorized personnel, and multi-factor authentication should be enforced for all administrative accounts. Additional defensive measures include monitoring for unusual command execution patterns in system logs, implementing network access controls to restrict communication with the Airwave Glass management interfaces, and conducting regular security assessments of the wireless network management infrastructure. Security teams should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious command execution patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and privilege separation in administrative interfaces, as highlighted in industry best practices such as the OWASP Top 10 and NIST Cybersecurity Framework guidelines for secure system design and implementation.