CVE-2022-2104 in SEPCOS
Summary
by MITRE • 06/24/2022
The www-data (Apache web server) account is configured to run sudo with no password for many commands (including /bin/sh and /bin/bash).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-2104 represents a critical privilege escalation issue within web server environments where the www-data user account has been improperly configured to execute sudo commands without requiring password authentication. This misconfiguration creates a severe security risk as the Apache web server process runs under the www-data user context, which should normally have minimal privileges. The specific flaw allows for unrestricted execution of commands including shell binaries, which provides an attacker with elevated system access that bypasses normal authentication mechanisms.
This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-276, which addresses improper privileges for system resources, and falls under the broader category of privilege escalation flaws. The technical implementation involves the sudoers configuration file where entries permit the www-data user to execute commands with root privileges without password verification. When combined with web application vulnerabilities such as command injection or file inclusion flaws, this misconfiguration can enable attackers to escalate from web application level access to full system control. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it allows for persistent access, system reconnaissance, and potential lateral movement within the network infrastructure.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability are severe and multifaceted. An attacker who gains access to the web application can immediately leverage the sudo privileges to execute arbitrary commands on the host system, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where web applications process untrusted input or where the web server has write permissions to application directories. The lack of authentication for critical system commands means that an attacker can perform actions such as modifying system files, installing backdoors, creating new user accounts, or exfiltrating sensitive data. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers privilege escalation through the exploitation of system configuration weaknesses.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-2104 should focus on immediate remediation of the sudoers configuration to eliminate unnecessary sudo permissions for the www-data user. The recommended approach involves reviewing and restricting sudo access to only essential commands required for legitimate web server operations, while ensuring that no shell binaries or administrative commands are granted passwordless execution privileges. Organizations should implement comprehensive privilege auditing procedures to identify and correct similar misconfigurations across their infrastructure. Additionally, network segmentation and application-level security controls should be strengthened to limit the potential impact of compromised web applications, while regular security assessments should be conducted to detect and remediate privilege escalation vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors.