CVE-2021-42950 in Notebook
Summary
by MITRE • 03/03/2022
Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability exists in Zepl Notebooks all previous versions before October 25 2021. Users can register for an account and are allocated a set number of credits to try the product. Once users authenticate, they can proceed to create a new organization by which additional users can be added for various collaboration abilities, which allows malicious user to create new Zepl Notebooks with various languages, contexts, and deployment scenarios. Upon creating a new notebook with specially crafted malicious code, a user can then launch remote code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2022
The CVE-2021-42950 vulnerability represents a critical remote code execution flaw in Zepl Notebooks that affects all versions prior to October 25, 2021. This vulnerability operates within a legitimate user registration and collaboration framework, making it particularly dangerous as it leverages the platform's intended functionality to execute malicious code. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the notebook creation process, allowing authenticated users to inject malicious code that gets executed in the context of the application server. The flaw is categorized under CWE-94, which specifically addresses "Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and script injection, demonstrating how legitimate platform features can be abused for malicious purposes.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs during the notebook creation phase where users can specify various languages and contexts for their computational environments. Attackers can craft malicious code within notebook parameters that, when executed, provides remote code execution capabilities on the target system. The vulnerability exploits the trust model within the platform where authenticated users with legitimate access can manipulate the system through the notebook creation workflow. This represents a privilege escalation scenario where user-level permissions are leveraged to achieve system-level code execution, potentially allowing attackers to access sensitive data, modify system configurations, or establish persistent access points.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-42950 extends beyond immediate code execution capabilities as it enables attackers to compromise entire notebook environments and potentially access shared organizational resources. Organizations utilizing Zepl Notebooks before the patched version face significant risks including data breaches, system compromise, and potential lateral movement within their infrastructure. The vulnerability affects collaborative environments where multiple users share notebooks and organizational structures, amplifying the potential impact when a single compromised user account can lead to widespread system compromise. This vulnerability particularly affects research institutions, development teams, and organizations that rely heavily on collaborative computational environments for data analysis and scientific computing.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-42950 focus primarily on updating to the patched version released on October 25, 2021, which implements proper input validation and sanitization for notebook creation parameters. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to notebook environments, enforce strict monitoring of notebook creation activities, and establish automated scanning for suspicious code patterns within notebook content. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation in collaborative platforms and aligns with security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-160 and ISO 27001 standards. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls, conducting regular security assessments of notebook environments, and establishing incident response procedures specifically tailored to handle code injection vulnerabilities in computational platforms.