CVE-2021-29151 in ClearPass Policy Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 07/09/2021
A remote authentication bypass vulnerability was discovered in Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager version(s): Prior to 6.10.0, 6.9.6 and 6.8.9. Aruba has released updates to ClearPass Policy Manager that address this security vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-29151 represents a critical remote authentication bypass flaw in Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager software. This issue affects multiple versions including those prior to 6.10.0, 6.9.6, and 6.8.9, making it a significant concern for organizations relying on Aruba's network access control solutions. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to bypass the authentication mechanism without proper credentials, potentially granting unauthorized access to the policy manager system. This type of flaw directly impacts the fundamental security posture of network access control systems, which are designed to enforce strict authentication and authorization policies for network connectivity.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper validation of authentication requests within the ClearPass Policy Manager application. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain access to the system without providing valid credentials, effectively circumventing the security controls that should prevent unauthorized access. The flaw likely resides in the application's handling of authentication tokens or session management mechanisms, allowing malicious actors to manipulate the authentication flow. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which describes improper authentication issues in software systems, and represents a serious deviation from secure coding practices that should ensure robust authentication mechanisms are in place.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it compromises the integrity of network access control policies that organizations depend upon for security. If exploited, attackers could gain full administrative access to the ClearPass Policy Manager, enabling them to modify access policies, grant unauthorized network access to devices, or even establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. This represents a severe threat to enterprise security, as ClearPass Policy Manager systems typically control access to critical network resources and enforce security policies across entire organizations. The vulnerability could be leveraged to perform lateral movement within networks, escalate privileges, or conduct advanced persistent threat operations as outlined in the ATT&CK framework under initial access and privilege escalation techniques.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement the patches released by Aruba to address the authentication bypass issue. The vendor has provided updates for versions 6.10.0, 6.9.6, and 6.8.9, which contain the necessary fixes to remediate the flaw. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify systems running vulnerable versions and prioritize their patching efforts. Additionally, network monitoring should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts, and access controls should be reviewed to ensure that only authorized personnel can access the ClearPass Policy Manager systems. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the patches in non-production environments before deployment to prevent potential service disruptions while ensuring complete vulnerability remediation.