CVE-2021-27859 in WARP
Summary
by MITRE • 12/15/2021
A missing authorization vulnerability in the web management interface of FatPipe WARP, IPVPN, and MPVPN software prior to versions 10.1.2r60p91 and 10.2.2r42 allows an authenticated, remote attacker with read-only privileges to create an account with administrative privileges. Older versions of FatPipe software may also be vulnerable. This does not appear to be a CSRF vulnerability. The FatPipe advisory identifier for this vulnerability is FPSA005.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/18/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2021-27859 represents a critical authorization flaw within the web management interfaces of FatPipe WARP IPVPN and MPVPN software products. This weakness stems from insufficient access control mechanisms that fail to properly validate user privileges during account creation operations. The vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 10.1.2r60p91 and 10.2.2r42, though older iterations of the software may also be susceptible to similar exploitation patterns. The flaw manifests when authenticated users with read-only privileges attempt to leverage the system's account management functionality to escalate their privileges to administrative level access. This represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability that undermines the fundamental security model of the affected software implementations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues within software systems. The flaw operates by bypassing expected authorization checks that should prevent read-only users from creating accounts with elevated privileges. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can leverage their existing authenticated session to perform administrative account creation activities without proper authorization validation. The vulnerability's classification as a missing authorization issue rather than a CSRF vulnerability indicates that the attack vector requires an authenticated session and operates through direct manipulation of the web interface rather than through cross-site request forgery techniques. This distinction is crucial as it affects both the attack surface and the specific mitigation approaches required to address the weakness.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and potentially far-reaching for organizations utilizing affected FatPipe software solutions. An authenticated attacker with read-only access can effectively compromise the entire system by creating administrative accounts, thereby gaining complete control over network management functions. This privilege escalation capability allows attackers to modify network configurations, access sensitive data, disable security features, and potentially establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on FatPipe's network security solutions for critical infrastructure protection, as it undermines the security boundaries that these systems are designed to maintain. The risk is compounded by the fact that the vulnerability can be exploited remotely, requiring only network access and a valid user account with read-only privileges to initiate the attack.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to the patched versions 10.1.2r60p91 and 10.2.2r42 as specified in the FatPipe advisory FPSA005. Additionally, network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit the scope of potential exploitation. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts as a means of gaining access, and T1548 which addresses privilege escalation through unauthorized account creation. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious account creation activities, particularly those occurring from read-only user sessions. Regular security assessments of network management interfaces should be conducted to identify similar authorization weaknesses, and principle of least privilege should be strictly enforced to minimize the impact of such vulnerabilities. The affected software platforms should also implement additional authorization checks during account creation processes to ensure that privilege levels are properly validated against user credentials and session contexts.