CVE-2022-23668 in ClearPass Policy Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 05/17/2022
A remote authenticated server-side request forgery (ssrf) 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 Manage that address this security vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/18/2022
The CVE-2022-23668 vulnerability represents a critical server-side request forgery flaw in Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager that enables authenticated attackers to manipulate server-side requests and potentially access internal network resources. This vulnerability specifically affects multiple versions of the ClearPass Policy Manager platform, including versions 6.10.4 and below, 6.9.9 and below, 6.8.9-HF2 and below, and all 6.7.x versions, creating a widespread impact across the product's release history. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied input that flows into server-side HTTP requests, allowing malicious actors with valid credentials to craft requests that can traverse internal network boundaries and access restricted systems.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through authenticated API calls or web interface interactions where user input is not properly sanitized before being used in HTTP request construction. Attackers can leverage this flaw to make the ClearPass Policy Manager server perform requests to internal systems that should normally be inaccessible from external networks, effectively bypassing network segmentation controls. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-918 category of Server-Side Request Forgery, which is classified as a critical security weakness that allows attackers to abuse the server's network access to interact with internal systems. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that ClearPass Policy Manager typically operates in privileged network positions, managing authentication and access control for enterprise environments, making it a highly valuable target for attackers seeking lateral movement.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exfiltration, as it can enable attackers to perform reconnaissance on internal network infrastructure, access sensitive backend services, and potentially compromise additional systems within the enterprise network. This SSRF vulnerability creates a pathway for attackers to bypass traditional network security controls and gain access to internal resources that are typically protected by firewalls and network segmentation policies. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that ClearPass Policy Manager systems often serve as central points of authentication and authorization, meaning successful exploitation could provide attackers with elevated privileges and access to critical enterprise resources. Organizations using affected versions face significant risk of unauthorized access to internal systems, potential data breaches, and compromise of the entire authentication infrastructure.
Organizations should immediately implement the security updates released by Aruba to address this vulnerability, as these patches specifically target the input validation flaws that enable the SSRF attack vector. System administrators should also consider implementing additional network monitoring to detect unusual outbound requests from ClearPass Policy Manager servers, particularly those targeting internal IP ranges or unusual ports. The mitigation strategy should include enforcing strict access controls for ClearPass Policy Manager interfaces, limiting authentication to trusted networks, and implementing network segmentation to isolate the authentication infrastructure from critical internal systems. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1190 (Exploit Public-Facing Application) and T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) as attackers may use the SSRF capability to perform DNS tunneling or other network reconnaissance activities. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure that all ClearPass Policy Manager installations are updated and that no other similar vulnerabilities exist within the authentication infrastructure.