CVE-2022-41561 in JasperReports Server
Summary
by MITRE • 12/13/2022
The JNDI Data Sources component of TIBCO Software Inc.'s TIBCO JasperReports Server, TIBCO JasperReports Server, TIBCO JasperReports Server - Community Edition, TIBCO JasperReports Server - Developer Edition, TIBCO JasperReports Server for AWS Marketplace, TIBCO JasperReports Server for AWS Marketplace, TIBCO JasperReports Server for Microsoft Azure, and TIBCO JasperReports Server for Microsoft Azure contains an easily exploitable vulnerability that allows a privileged/administrative attacker with network access to execute Remote Code Execution to obtain a reverse shell on the affected system. Affected releases are TIBCO Software Inc.'s TIBCO JasperReports Server: versions 8.0.2 and below, TIBCO JasperReports Server: version 8.1.0, TIBCO JasperReports Server - Community Edition: versions 8.1.0 and below, TIBCO JasperReports Server - Developer Edition: versions 8.1.0 and below, TIBCO JasperReports Server for AWS Marketplace: versions 8.0.2 and below, TIBCO JasperReports Server for AWS Marketplace: version 8.1.0, TIBCO JasperReports Server for Microsoft Azure: versions 8.0.2 and below, and TIBCO JasperReports Server for Microsoft Azure: version 8.1.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/08/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-41561 represents a critical remote code execution flaw within the JNDI Data Sources component of TIBCO Software Inc.'s JasperReports Server suite. This security weakness affects multiple variants of the platform including community, developer, and cloud-based deployments across AWS and Microsoft Azure environments. The vulnerability's exploitability is particularly concerning as it requires only network access from a privileged or administrative attacker, making it accessible to threat actors with minimal initial privileges. The flaw enables attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems, potentially leading to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive data within enterprise environments that rely on JasperReports for business intelligence and reporting operations.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper handling of JNDI (Java Naming and Directory Interface) data sources within the reporting platform. When the system processes JNDI lookup requests from user-supplied data, it fails to properly sanitize or validate the input parameters, allowing malicious actors to inject crafted JNDI references that can trigger remote code execution. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-77: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command, which specifically addresses the dangerous practice of incorporating untrusted input directly into system commands or data processing flows. The attack vector leverages the inherent trust relationships within Java applications and their JNDI subsystem, where legitimate JNDI lookups are used to resolve external resources such as LDAP or RMI services that can be manipulated by attackers to execute malicious code on the target system.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-41561 extends far beyond simple code execution, as it provides attackers with the capability to establish reverse shells and maintain persistent access to compromised systems. This vulnerability affects organizations running various versions of JasperReports Server including the community and developer editions, creating widespread exposure across different deployment scenarios. The affected versions span multiple release lines from 8.0.2 down to 8.1.0, indicating this is a significant flaw that has persisted across several releases of the software platform. Organizations utilizing cloud-based deployments on AWS and Azure platforms face particular risk as these environments often contain sensitive enterprise data and may have extended attack surfaces due to their connectivity requirements and integration with other cloud services.
Security practitioners should immediately implement mitigation strategies focusing on network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to this vulnerability. The most effective immediate response involves restricting network access to the affected JasperReports Server instances through firewall rules and implementing strict access controls that limit administrative privileges to only necessary personnel. Organizations should also consider disabling JNDI data sources or implementing strict input validation mechanisms that prevent external JNDI references from being processed. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007: Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell and T1078.004: Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts, as attackers can leverage legitimate administrative accounts to exploit the vulnerability and establish persistence. Regular security monitoring and log analysis should be enhanced to detect anomalous JNDI lookup patterns or unusual network connections that may indicate exploitation attempts, while also ensuring that all affected systems are promptly updated to patched versions of the software to eliminate the attack surface entirely.