CVE-2021-28113 in Access Gateway
Summary
by MITRE • 04/02/2021
A command injection vulnerability in the cookieDomain and relayDomain parameters of Okta Access Gateway before 2020.9.3 allows attackers (with admin access to the Okta Access Gateway UI) to execute OS commands as a privileged system account.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/08/2021
This vulnerability represents a critical command injection flaw in Okta Access Gateway's handling of cookieDomain and relayDomain parameters within versions prior to 2020.9.3. The issue stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization in the web application's parameter processing logic, where user-supplied values are directly incorporated into system commands without proper escaping or encoding. Attackers with administrative privileges to the Okta Access Gateway management interface can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious input in these specific parameters, which then gets executed by the underlying operating system with elevated privileges. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the configuration management functionality of the access gateway appliance. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-77 and CWE-94 categories, representing command injection and code injection weaknesses that allow arbitrary code execution. The attack vector requires administrative access to the Okta Access Gateway UI, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1059 for command and script injection. The impact is severe as successful exploitation results in full system compromise with privileges of the system account running the Okta Access Gateway service. This allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands, potentially leading to data exfiltration, lateral movement within the network, and complete compromise of the access gateway infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the improper handling of user input parameters within the Okta Access Gateway's configuration management system. When administrators modify cookieDomain or relayDomain settings through the web interface, the application fails to properly sanitize or validate the input before incorporating it into system commands. This creates an environment where attackers can inject malicious commands that bypass normal security controls and execute with the privileges of the system account running the gateway service. The vulnerability demonstrates poor input validation practices and highlights the importance of secure coding principles in web application development. The attack scenario requires an attacker to already possess administrative credentials, making this a privilege escalation vulnerability rather than a remote code execution vector. However, the elevated privileges granted to administrators make this particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged for significant system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond immediate command execution capabilities to encompass broader security implications for organizations relying on Okta Access Gateway for identity and access management. Organizations may face unauthorized access to sensitive network resources, potential data breaches, and complete loss of control over their access gateway infrastructure. The vulnerability can facilitate lateral movement within networks as attackers can use the compromised gateway to access other systems and resources that were previously protected by the gateway's security controls. Additionally, the compromised system may serve as a persistent backdoor for future attacks, allowing attackers to maintain access over extended periods. This vulnerability also impacts compliance requirements, as it creates potential audit trail issues and may violate security standards such as those outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO/IEC 27001. The exploitation of this vulnerability can result in significant business disruption and financial losses.
Organizations should immediately apply the security patch released by Okta for versions prior to 2020.9.3 to remediate this vulnerability. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring and logging of configuration changes to detect potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and privilege separation should be reviewed to limit the impact if the vulnerability is exploited. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the identity and access management infrastructure. Security teams should also implement proper input validation and sanitization practices for all web applications, ensuring that user-supplied data is properly escaped before being used in system commands. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect critical infrastructure components. Organizations should also consider implementing automated patch management systems to ensure timely deployment of security updates across their infrastructure.