CVE-2020-4432 in Aspera
Summary
by MITRE
Certain IBM Aspera applications are vulnerable to command injection after valid authentication, which could allow an attacker with intimate knowledge of the system to execute commands in a SOAP API. IBM X-Force ID: 180810.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/24/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-4432 affects IBM Aspera applications and represents a critical command injection flaw that can be exploited after successful authentication. This vulnerability resides within the SOAP API interface of affected IBM Aspera products, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on these file transfer solutions. The flaw allows authenticated attackers with intimate knowledge of the system to execute arbitrary commands, potentially leading to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive data.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the SOAP API processing components of IBM Aspera applications. When legitimate users authenticate to the system, the application fails to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied parameters that are passed through the SOAP interface. This lack of proper input validation creates an environment where maliciously crafted parameters can be interpreted and executed as system commands rather than being treated as data. The vulnerability is classified as a command injection flaw under CWE-77, which specifically addresses situations where user-supplied data is directly incorporated into command execution contexts without proper sanitization.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe threat to enterprise security infrastructure since it requires only valid authentication credentials to exploit. Attackers who gain access to legitimate user accounts or credentials can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary commands on the affected systems. This capability enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including data exfiltration, system enumeration, privilege escalation, and persistent backdoor installation. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected IBM Aspera applications, potentially leading to significant data breaches and operational disruptions. Organizations utilizing these applications may experience unauthorized access to sensitive files, modification of critical system configurations, and complete system compromise.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it operates within the SOAP API layer where legitimate administrative functions are performed. This means that even users with standard privileges can potentially exploit this vulnerability if they have intimate knowledge of the system architecture and can craft appropriate malicious payloads. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically targeting the execution of commands through the API interface. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring for unusual API activity patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts. The remediation approach involves applying the official IBM security patches and updates, implementing strict input validation mechanisms, and conducting thorough security assessments of the SOAP API interfaces to identify similar vulnerabilities. Additionally, organizations should enforce principle of least privilege access controls and implement comprehensive logging and monitoring of API interactions to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts.