CVE-2021-28958 in ADSelfService Plus
Summary
by MITRE • 06/25/2021
Zoho ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus through 6101 is vulnerable to unauthenticated Remote Code Execution while changing the password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/02/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-28958 affects Zoho ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus version 6101 and earlier, presenting a critical security flaw that allows unauthenticated remote code execution during password change operations. This vulnerability represents a severe weakness in the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the application, potentially enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code on the affected system without requiring valid credentials or prior access. The flaw specifically manifests during the password modification process, which is a fundamental function of the self-service password reset system. This creates a particularly dangerous attack surface since password change operations are typically expected to be secure and restricted to authenticated users, yet this vulnerability allows malicious actors to bypass these protections entirely.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the password change functionality of the ADSelfService Plus application. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests that leverage the password reset mechanism to inject and execute arbitrary code on the target system. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-77 and aligns with the ATT&CK framework's technique T1059 for executing malicious code. The flaw likely involves improper handling of user-supplied data during the password modification process, potentially allowing command injection or code execution through specially crafted parameters. The vulnerability's impact is amplified because it operates without requiring authentication, meaning any external attacker can potentially exploit it to gain system-level access.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-28958 is devastating for organizations relying on Zoho ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus for their identity and access management. Successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise, allowing attackers to establish persistent backdoors, escalate privileges, exfiltrate sensitive data, or deploy additional malware. Organizations may face unauthorized access to critical user accounts, compromised authentication systems, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure. The vulnerability's unauthenticated nature means that organizations cannot rely on standard network-based authentication controls to prevent exploitation, and the impact extends beyond just password reset functionality to potentially affect the entire application and underlying system. This creates a significant risk for enterprise environments where the application may be accessible from multiple network segments or exposed to external networks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the affected Zoho ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus installations to version 6102 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the affected application, particularly if it is exposed to untrusted networks or the internet. Additional protective measures include monitoring network traffic for suspicious patterns related to password change requests, implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious payloads, and conducting thorough security assessments of the application's configuration. Security teams should also review and harden the application's access controls, ensure proper network access restrictions, and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing remote code execution vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing to ensure that the patch does not introduce compatibility issues with existing workflows while maintaining the application's core functionality.