CVE-2022-36633 in Teleport
Summary
by MITRE • 08/24/2022
Teleport 9.3.6 is vulnerable to Command injection leading to Remote Code Execution. An attacker can craft a malicious ssh agent installation link by URL encoding a bash escape with carriage return line feed. This url encoded payload can be used in place of a token and sent to a user in a social engineering attack. This is fully unauthenticated attack utilizing the trusted teleport server to deliver the payload.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/30/2025
Teleport 9.3.6 contains a critical command injection vulnerability that enables remote code execution through improperly sanitized input validation. This flaw exists within the ssh agent installation link functionality where the system fails to properly sanitize user-supplied data during URL decoding processes. The vulnerability specifically manifests when an attacker crafts a malicious payload using bash escape sequences combined with carriage return line feed characters, allowing arbitrary command execution on the target system. The attack vector leverages the trusted teleport server as a delivery mechanism, making it particularly dangerous since the malicious payload appears to originate from a legitimate source within the network infrastructure. This unauthenticated attack allows adversaries to exploit the vulnerability without requiring prior authorization or credentials, effectively bypassing traditional authentication mechanisms. The exploitation process involves crafting a specially formatted URL that contains encoded command injection payloads, which are then processed by the teleport server and executed with the privileges of the teleport service account. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-77 and CWE-94 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework, representing command injection and code injection respectively. The attack follows the ATT&CK technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, specifically targeting the bash shell environment. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution as it enables attackers to establish persistent access, escalate privileges, and potentially move laterally within the network infrastructure. Organizations utilizing Teleport 9.3.6 are at significant risk since the vulnerability can be exploited through social engineering campaigns that distribute malicious installation links to unsuspecting users. The trusted server delivery mechanism means that even users who typically maintain strict security protocols may be compromised through seemingly legitimate installation processes. The vulnerability represents a fundamental flaw in input validation and sanitization within the Teleport application's web interface handling, where URL parameters containing special characters are not properly escaped or filtered before processing. This weakness creates an attack surface that can be exploited by threat actors to gain unauthorized access to systems managed through Teleport, potentially compromising entire infrastructure networks that rely on this authentication and access management platform.
The exploitation of CVE-2022-36633 demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in authentication and access management systems. When a trusted server component becomes compromised, the entire security posture of the organization can be undermined since attackers can leverage legitimate infrastructure to deliver malicious payloads. The vulnerability's design allows for complete command execution capabilities, enabling attackers to install backdoors, exfiltrate data, or establish persistent access points within the network. The unauthenticated nature of this attack means that traditional perimeter security measures may not prevent exploitation, as the vulnerability exists within the application layer itself. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring for unusual command execution patterns as defensive measures. The vulnerability also highlights the need for regular security assessments of third-party applications and the importance of keeping authentication systems updated with the latest security patches. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability could potentially violate various security standards including iso 27001, nist cybersecurity framework, and soc 2 requirements that mandate proper input validation and protection against injection attacks. The attack scenario represents a sophisticated social engineering approach combined with technical exploitation, making it particularly challenging to detect and prevent through conventional security measures alone.