CVE-2021-41002 in CX 6200F Switch Series
Summary
by MITRE • 03/03/2022
Multiple authenticated remote path traversal vulnerabilities were discovered in the AOS-CX command line interface in Aruba CX 6200F Switch Series, Aruba 6300 Switch Series, Aruba 6400 Switch Series, Aruba 8320 Switch Series, Aruba 8325 Switch Series, Aruba 8400 Switch Series, Aruba CX 8360 Switch Series version(s): AOS-CX 10.06.xxxx: 10.06.0170 and below, AOS-CX 10.07.xxxx: 10.07.0050 and below, AOS-CX 10.08.xxxx: 10.08.1030 and below, AOS-CX 10.09.xxxx: 10.09.0002 and below. Aruba has released upgrades for Aruba AOS-CX devices that address these security vulnerabilities.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2022
The CVE-2021-41002 vulnerability represents a critical authenticated remote path traversal flaw affecting multiple Aruba CX switch series running AOS-CX operating system versions. This vulnerability resides within the command line interface component of the network infrastructure devices, specifically impacting the 6200F Switch Series, 6300 Switch Series, 6400 Switch Series, 8320 Switch Series, 8325 Switch Series, 8400 Switch Series, and 8360 Switch Series. The affected versions span across multiple release branches including AOS-CX 10.06.xx, 10.07.xx, 10.08.xx, and 10.09.xx, with specific thresholds indicating that all versions equal to or below 10.06.0170, 10.07.0050, 10.08.1030, and 10.09.0002 respectively are vulnerable. This path traversal vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with access to the command line interface to exploit directory traversal sequences that could enable them to access restricted files and directories beyond their intended scope.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the command line interface processing functions of the AOS-CX operating system. When legitimate administrative commands are processed through the CLI, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied input parameters that could contain directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ constructs. This weakness creates an opportunity for attackers to manipulate file paths and potentially access sensitive system files, configuration data, or other restricted resources that should only be accessible to authorized administrative personnel. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the command execution mechanisms within the switch's operating system, making it particularly dangerous for network infrastructure devices that require administrative access for normal operation.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to network security and integrity. An authenticated attacker who gains access to the command line interface could potentially read sensitive configuration files, system logs, or other administrative data that might contain credentials, encryption keys, or network topology information. The path traversal could also enable access to system binaries or other components that might allow for privilege escalation or further exploitation. Network administrators who rely on these switches for core infrastructure operations face potential exposure to data breaches, unauthorized network access, or complete compromise of their network security posture. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access, meaning that someone with legitimate administrative credentials could exploit it, making detection more difficult and potentially enabling insider threats to escalate their privileges.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. This classification indicates that the flaw exists in how the system handles file path inputs, particularly when these inputs are not properly validated against a whitelist of acceptable paths or when the system does not properly sanitize user-supplied path data. From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, T1078 for valid accounts, and potentially T1566 for social engineering if the attacker can leverage legitimate administrative access to escalate further. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the vendor-provided patches, restricting CLI access to only necessary administrative personnel, implementing network segmentation, and monitoring for suspicious CLI activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.
Aruba has addressed this vulnerability through official firmware updates and security patches for the affected AOS-CX versions. Organizations should prioritize upgrading their affected devices to the latest supported firmware releases that contain the necessary security fixes. The patching process should include thorough testing in non-production environments before deployment to ensure compatibility with existing network configurations and operations. Additionally, network administrators should implement monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish baseline behavior for CLI usage to identify anomalous patterns that might indicate an active attack. Regular security assessments of network infrastructure devices should include verification that all patches have been properly applied and that no vulnerable versions remain in the network environment, as this vulnerability could provide attackers with a foothold for more extensive network compromise operations.