CVE-2021-38117 in iManager
Summary
by MITRE • 11/22/2024
Possible Command injection Vulnerability
in iManager has been discovered in OpenText™ iManager 3.2.4.0000.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-38117 represents a command injection flaw within OpenText™ iManager version 3.2.4.0000, a web-based administration platform used for managing various enterprise applications. This type of vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system through improperly sanitized input parameters. The issue stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of user-supplied data that is subsequently passed to system commands, creating a critical security gap in the application's input handling mechanisms. The vulnerability affects the iManager component which serves as a central administrative interface for managing OpenText products, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise enterprise environments.
The technical exploitation of this command injection vulnerability occurs when user input is directly incorporated into system command execution without proper sanitization or encoding. Attackers can manipulate input fields within the iManager interface to inject malicious commands that will be executed with the privileges of the iManager process. This typically involves passing specially crafted payloads through form fields, API endpoints, or parameters that are then processed by the application and forwarded to underlying system commands. The vulnerability can be classified under CWE-77 as "Command Injection," which is a well-documented weakness where untrusted data is used in the construction of system commands without proper validation or encoding. The impact is particularly severe given that iManager typically operates with elevated privileges and may have access to sensitive system resources, network components, and administrative functions.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-38117 extends beyond simple unauthorized command execution, potentially enabling full system compromise and lateral movement within enterprise networks. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain complete control over the iManager server, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system modification, or use of the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks. The vulnerability's presence in a management interface means that successful exploitation could provide attackers with administrative access to the entire OpenText ecosystem, including access to sensitive configuration data, user credentials, and other critical system information. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, where adversaries use legitimate system commands to execute malicious code. The vulnerability also represents a significant risk to business continuity and data security, as iManager systems often serve as central points of administration for enterprise applications.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches and updates, implementing network segmentation to limit access to iManager systems, and deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious command injection attempts. Input validation and sanitization should be strengthened throughout the application to prevent any user-supplied data from being directly passed to system commands. Additionally, privilege separation should be enforced to ensure that iManager processes operate with minimal required permissions, reducing the potential impact of successful exploitation. Regular security assessments and monitoring of system logs for suspicious command execution patterns should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect critical administrative interfaces from command injection attacks.