CVE-2020-9112 in Taurus-AN00B
Summary
by MITRE • 10/20/2020
Taurus-AN00B versions earlier than 10.1.0.156(C00E155R7P2) have a privilege elevation vulnerability. Due to lack of privilege restrictions on some of the business functions of the device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to access the protecting information, resulting in the elevation of the privilege.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-9112 affects Taurus-AN00B devices running firmware versions prior to 10.1.0.156(C00E155R7P2) and represents a critical privilege escalation flaw that fundamentally undermines the security posture of these network devices. This vulnerability resides in the insufficient privilege restrictions implemented within certain business functions of the device, creating a pathway for unauthorized users to escalate their privileges and gain access to protected information. The flaw stems from inadequate access control mechanisms that fail to properly validate user permissions before granting access to sensitive system functions, allowing attackers to bypass normal security boundaries and elevate their privileges from standard user level to administrative or root level access.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability manifests as a failure in the device's authorization framework where specific business functions lack proper privilege checks and access controls. The absence of robust privilege validation means that authenticated users can potentially invoke administrative functions without proper authorization, creating a direct pathway for privilege escalation attacks. This type of flaw commonly maps to CWE-284, which describes improper access control vulnerabilities where systems fail to properly enforce access restrictions, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" in adversary tactics. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple access control bypass as it enables attackers to access protected information that should be restricted to authorized personnel only.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system information and potentially compromise the entire device. Once privilege escalation is achieved, attackers can manipulate device configurations, access network traffic, extract sensitive data, and potentially use the compromised device as a foothold for further network infiltration. This vulnerability particularly affects network security devices where the compromise of administrative access can lead to complete network exposure and data breaches. The risk is amplified because the vulnerability affects multiple versions of the firmware, indicating a widespread issue that requires immediate remediation across affected deployments. Organizations using Taurus-AN00B devices must consider this vulnerability as a critical threat that could enable advanced persistent threats and lateral movement within their network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate firmware updates to version 10.1.0.156(C00E155R7P2) or later, which contain the necessary privilege control fixes. Network administrators should also implement additional security measures including regular vulnerability assessments, network segmentation, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. The remediation process must include comprehensive testing of updated firmware to ensure compatibility with existing network configurations while maintaining security controls. Organizations should also conduct thorough access control reviews to identify and remediate any additional privilege escalation vectors within their network infrastructure. Security teams should implement continuous monitoring for suspicious access patterns and privilege escalation attempts, particularly focusing on the specific business functions that were identified as vulnerable in this particular flaw.