CVE-2020-7035 in Aura Orchestration Designer
Summary
by MITRE • 04/24/2021
An XML External Entities (XXE)vulnerability in the web-based user interface of Avaya Aura Orchestration Designer could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to gain read access to information that is stored on an affected system. The affected versions of Orchestration Designer includes all 7.x versions before 7.2.3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/29/2021
The CVE-2020-7035 vulnerability represents a critical XML External Entities (XXE) flaw within Avaya Aura Orchestration Designer's web-based user interface. This vulnerability specifically affects all version 7.x releases prior to 7.2.3, creating a significant security risk for organizations utilizing this communication orchestration platform. The flaw resides in how the system processes XML input through its web interface, allowing malicious actors to manipulate the parsing behavior and potentially access sensitive data stored on the affected system. The XXE vulnerability stems from the application's improper handling of external entity references in XML documents, which can be exploited to read arbitrary files from the server's file system or perform server-side request forgery attacks.
This vulnerability operates through the fundamental weakness in XML processing where external entities are not properly restricted or validated. When an authenticated user submits XML data through the web interface, the application fails to adequately sanitize the input, allowing attackers to include malicious external entity declarations that reference local files or network resources. The authenticated nature of this attack means that an attacker must first obtain valid credentials to exploit the vulnerability, but once authenticated, they can leverage the XXE flaw to read sensitive information stored on the system. The impact extends beyond simple data exposure as this could potentially lead to privilege escalation, system compromise, or further reconnaissance activities within the network environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-7035 is substantial for organizations relying on Avaya Aura Orchestration Designer for business process automation and communication orchestration. Attackers could potentially access configuration files, user credentials, system logs, or other sensitive data that may contain authentication tokens, API keys, or other confidential information. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that could be exploited by both internal malicious actors and external threat groups, particularly given that the affected versions include all 7.x releases before 7.2.3. Organizations using these versions face increased risk of data breaches and potential compliance violations, especially in regulated environments where such exposure could violate data protection standards and industry requirements.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to Avaya Aura Orchestration Designer version 7.2.3 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the XXE vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should review and restrict XML parsing configurations to disable external entity processing, implement proper input validation and sanitization measures, and consider network-level controls such as firewalls to limit access to the affected web interface. Security teams should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and monitor system logs for suspicious activities. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) and represents a common attack pattern that maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: Python) when exploited for lateral movement or data exfiltration activities.