CVE-2020-29574 in Cyberoam OS
Summary
by MITRE • 12/11/2020
An SQL injection vulnerability in the WebAdmin of Cyberoam OS through 2020-12-04 allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary SQL statements remotely.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/13/2025
The CVE-2020-29574 vulnerability represents a critical SQL injection flaw within the WebAdmin interface of Cyberoam OS versions up to and including 2020-12-04. This vulnerability exposes the system to unauthenticated remote exploitation, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands without requiring valid credentials or prior access to the system. The flaw resides in the WebAdmin component which handles administrative functions through web-based interfaces, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise network security appliances. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication and authorization mechanisms within the web administration portal, creating a pathway for malicious actors to bypass normal access controls and gain unauthorized database access. This issue demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation and parameter handling within the web application layer of the Cyberoam operating system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input parameters within the WebAdmin interface. When attackers submit maliciously crafted SQL queries through web forms or API endpoints, the system fails to properly validate or escape these inputs before incorporating them into database queries. This lack of proper input filtering creates a direct path for SQL injection attacks, enabling attackers to manipulate database operations and potentially extract sensitive information, modify data, or even execute system commands. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the application level where database interactions occur, and the absence of authentication requirements means that any remote attacker can exploit this flaw without needing to establish a legitimate session or possess valid credentials. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws and represents a classic example of improper input validation in web applications.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-29574 extends beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with the capability to completely compromise the administrative functions of Cyberoam security appliances. Successful exploitation could allow threat actors to gain full control over network access policies, modify firewall rules, access user authentication databases, and potentially establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on Cyberoam appliances for network security, creating risks for data breaches, unauthorized network access, and disruption of security services. Given that these appliances typically serve as critical network security components, the compromise of such systems could lead to widespread network infiltration and data exfiltration across enterprise environments. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that organizations cannot rely on traditional access control measures to prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability exists at the point of entry where authentication should occur.
Organizations affected by CVE-2020-29574 should prioritize immediate remediation through official vendor patches and updates released for Cyberoam OS versions. Security teams must implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider temporary network segmentation to limit the attack surface. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1190 indicates it falls within the category of exploitation for execution, making it particularly dangerous for adversaries seeking to establish persistent access. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and strengthening input validation measures can provide additional layers of protection. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their network infrastructure to identify any other vulnerable systems that might be running affected versions of the Cyberoam OS. The remediation process should also include reviewing access controls and implementing proper network monitoring to detect unauthorized database access attempts that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.