CVE-2022-23666 in ClearPass Policy Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 05/17/2022
A authenticated remote command injection vulnerability was discovered in Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager version(s): 6.10.4 and below, 6.9.9 and below, 6.8.9-HF2 and below, 6.7.x and below. Aruba has released updates to ClearPass Policy Manager that address this security vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/18/2022
The authenticated remote command injection vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-23666 represents a critical security flaw in Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager software versions up to and including 6.10.4, 6.9.9, 6.8.9-HF2, and all 6.7.x releases. This vulnerability resides within the authentication and input processing mechanisms of the ClearPass Policy Manager platform, which serves as a crucial component for network access control and policy enforcement in enterprise environments. The flaw allows authenticated attackers with valid credentials to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system through maliciously crafted inputs that are not properly sanitized or validated by the application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper handling of user-supplied data within the ClearPass Policy Manager's command processing functions. When authenticated users submit specific inputs through the web interface or API endpoints, the application fails to adequately sanitize these inputs before incorporating them into system commands or shell executions. This represents a classic command injection flaw that aligns with CWE-77 and follows patterns consistent with the ATT&CK framework's T1059.001 technique for command and scripting interpreter. The vulnerability specifically affects the processing of parameters that are directly passed to system-level commands without proper escaping or filtering mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with the ability to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the ClearPass Policy Manager service account. This could potentially lead to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or disruption of network access control services. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive network resources, modify or delete policy configurations, and establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on ClearPass for critical network access control functions, potentially exposing their entire network security posture to compromise.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement the patches and updates provided by Aruba to address the command injection flaw. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive network monitoring for suspicious command execution patterns and regular security assessments of the ClearPass Policy Manager environment. System administrators should also consider implementing additional access controls and network segmentation to limit the potential impact of any successful exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, particularly those handling sensitive network security functions, and aligns with security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-160 and ISO 27001 standards for secure application development and maintenance.