CVE-2021-35222 in Orion Platform
Summary
by MITRE • 08/31/2021
This vulnerability allows attackers to impersonate users and perform arbitrary actions leading to a Remote Code Execution (RCE) from the Alerts Settings page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2021
This vulnerability resides within the alerts settings functionality of a software system, creating a critical security flaw that enables unauthorized users to assume legitimate user identities and execute malicious commands remotely. The issue manifests specifically through the alerts configuration interface, where improper input validation and authentication bypass mechanisms allow attackers to manipulate system behavior. The vulnerability's classification as remote code execution indicates that attackers can remotely deploy and execute arbitrary code on affected systems without requiring physical access or prior system compromise. This represents a severe escalation from simple privilege escalation to full system compromise, as the attack vector operates entirely through network-based interactions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of user inputs within the alerts settings page functionality. Attackers can manipulate parameters through the web interface to inject malicious payloads that bypass normal authentication checks and authorization controls. The flaw likely involves improper sanitization of user-supplied data, allowing malicious input to be processed as legitimate commands within the system's alert processing engine. This creates a pathway for attackers to inject commands that execute with the privileges of the affected user account, potentially escalating to system-level privileges depending on the application's architecture and permissions model. The vulnerability's exploitation requires no specialized tools beyond standard web browsing capabilities and demonstrates a fundamental breakdown in the application's security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple data theft or modification, as it enables complete system compromise through remote code execution. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can establish persistent access, install backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, and potentially use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks within the network. The alerts settings page represents a particularly dangerous attack surface because it often requires administrative privileges to access, making successful exploitation potentially devastating for organizations. This vulnerability affects any system where alerts configuration is exposed to users without proper access controls and input validation mechanisms. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it operates through legitimate administrative functions, making detection more difficult as malicious activities appear to originate from authorized user accounts.
Mitigation strategies must address both the immediate vulnerability and underlying architectural issues that allowed it to exist. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation and sanitization measures across all user-facing interfaces, particularly those involving configuration changes or administrative functions. The principle of least privilege must be enforced rigorously, ensuring that users can only perform actions appropriate to their roles and that administrative functions require additional authentication factors. Regular security testing including penetration testing and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other system components. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities and CWE-89 which covers SQL injection flaws, though this particular case involves command injection through configuration parameters. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059 for command and script injection and T1078 for valid accounts, demonstrating how attackers can leverage legitimate administrative functions to achieve persistent access and execute arbitrary code. Patch management processes must be prioritized to ensure rapid deployment of vendor-provided fixes, while network monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.