CVE-2021-22935 in Pulse Connect Secure
Summary
by MITRE • 08/16/2021
A vulnerability in Pulse Connect Secure before 9.1R12 could allow an authenticated administrator to perform command injection via an unsanitized web parameter.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/17/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-22935 represents a critical command injection flaw within Pulse Connect Secure versions prior to 9.1R12. This security weakness specifically targets the web administration interface and affects authenticated administrators who possess legitimate access credentials. The flaw stems from insufficient input sanitization mechanisms within the web parameter processing pipeline, creating an avenue for malicious command execution. The vulnerability operates by allowing an attacker with administrative privileges to inject arbitrary commands through carefully crafted web parameters that are not properly validated or escaped before being processed by the underlying system.
This command injection vulnerability falls under the CWE-77 category, specifically classified as "Command Injection," which is a well-documented weakness in software security where user-supplied data is directly incorporated into system commands without proper sanitization. The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides authenticated administrators with the capability to execute arbitrary code on the affected system. An attacker could leverage this flaw to gain complete control over the Pulse Connect Secure appliance, potentially leading to unauthorized access to encrypted network traffic, modification of authentication mechanisms, or deployment of malicious payloads. The attack vector requires only an authenticated administrative session, making it particularly dangerous as it bypasses many traditional network-level security controls.
The exploitation of this vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in input validation and sanitization practices within the Pulse Connect Secure web interface. The system fails to properly sanitize user-supplied parameters before they are passed to system commands, creating a direct pathway for command injection attacks. This weakness aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001, which covers command and scripting interpreter, specifically focusing on the execution of system commands through vulnerable interfaces. Organizations utilizing Pulse Connect Secure appliances in their network infrastructure face significant risk exposure, particularly in environments where administrative access is not strictly controlled or where privileged accounts are compromised.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including upgrading to Pulse Connect Secure version 9.1R12 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this vulnerability. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit administrative access to only essential personnel. Additionally, implementing robust monitoring and logging of administrative activities can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in security design, as it demonstrates how a single flaw in parameter handling can compromise the entire system. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive assessments of their Pulse Connect Secure implementations to identify any other potential vulnerabilities that may exist within similar authentication and command execution pathways.