CVE-2021-22342 in IPS Module
Summary
by MITRE • 06/23/2021
There is an information leak vulnerability in Huawei products. A module does not deal with specific input sufficiently. High privilege attackers can exploit this vulnerability by performing some operations. This can lead to information leak. Affected product versions include: IPS Module versions V500R005C00, V500R005C10, V500R005C20; NGFW Module versions V500R005C00,V500R005C10, V500R005C20; SeMG9811 versions V500R005C00; USG9500 versions V500R001C00, V500R001C20, V500R001C30, V500R001C50, V500R001C60, V500R001C80, V500R005C00, V500R005C10, V500R005C20.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2021
This information leak vulnerability exists within Huawei's security infrastructure products, specifically affecting critical modules that handle input processing without proper validation mechanisms. The flaw resides in how certain modules process specific input parameters, creating a pathway for unauthorized information disclosure. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only high privilege attackers to exploit, suggesting that the attack vector targets authenticated users with elevated system access rights rather than requiring initial compromise through external means.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic input validation failure pattern where the affected modules fail to properly sanitize or validate incoming data streams. This allows malicious actors with elevated privileges to manipulate system behavior and extract sensitive information that should remain protected within the system boundaries. The vulnerability affects multiple product lines including IPS modules, NGFW modules, SeMG9811 devices, and USG9500 series firewalls, indicating a systemic issue within Huawei's security product architecture that spans several critical network protection components.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on Huawei's security solutions, as it enables information disclosure that could lead to compromise of sensitive network data, system configurations, or security policies. The affected versions represent a substantial portion of Huawei's security product portfolio, suggesting widespread potential impact across enterprise networks. Security administrators must consider that this vulnerability could be leveraged to gain intelligence about network topology, security configurations, or other sensitive operational details that would aid in subsequent attacks.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation as a fundamental weakness in software security implementations. This classification indicates that the flaw stems from inadequate validation of data inputs, a common pattern that allows attackers to manipulate system behavior through carefully crafted inputs. The attack surface is further expanded by the ATT&CK framework's T1082 technique for system information discovery, as this vulnerability could enable attackers to extract system-level information that would normally be protected within the security appliance's operational boundaries. Organizations should consider this vulnerability as part of a broader reconnaissance phase that could precede more sophisticated attacks targeting the compromised systems.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment for all affected versions, as well as enhanced monitoring for unusual data access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network administrators should implement additional access controls and privilege restrictions to limit the potential impact of compromised high-privilege accounts. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of comprehensive input validation across all security modules and the need for regular security assessments of critical infrastructure components to identify similar weaknesses before they can be exploited by malicious actors.