CVE-2023-22768 in ArubaOS
Summary
by MITRE • 03/01/2023
Authenticated command injection vulnerabilities exist in the ArubaOS command line interface. Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities result in the ability to execute arbitrary commands as a privileged user on the underlying operating system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/01/2023
The CVE-2023-22768 vulnerability represents a critical authenticated command injection flaw within the ArubaOS command line interface, exposing organizations to significant operational risks. This vulnerability resides in the privileged command processing mechanisms of Aruba's network operating system, which is widely deployed in enterprise wireless networking environments. The flaw allows authenticated users with sufficient privileges to inject and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system, effectively bypassing the intended security boundaries of the network infrastructure. Such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous in network security contexts where the compromised system serves as a critical control point for network access and security enforcement.
The technical implementation of this command injection vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the ArubaOS CLI processing layer. When authenticated users submit commands through the interface, the system fails to properly escape or filter special characters that could be interpreted as command delimiters or shell metacharacters. This weakness enables attackers to craft malicious input sequences that are subsequently executed with elevated privileges, potentially allowing for complete system compromise. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 which specifically addresses command injection flaws in software systems, and represents a direct violation of secure coding practices that mandate proper input sanitization and parameterized command execution.
From an operational perspective, successful exploitation of CVE-2023-22768 can lead to catastrophic consequences for affected organizations. Attackers with access to the ArubaOS CLI can execute arbitrary code with root privileges, potentially enabling them to install backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive network data, modify network configurations, or establish persistent access to the infrastructure. The impact extends beyond immediate system compromise as network security devices often serve as critical enforcement points for access control policies, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where network segmentation and security controls are paramount. Organizations relying on ArubaOS for wireless network management face the risk of complete network infiltration and loss of security posture.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires an authenticated session with sufficient privileges, typically administrative access to the ArubaOS command line interface. This authentication requirement provides some mitigation against automated exploitation but does not eliminate the risk entirely, as attackers can potentially escalate privileges through other means or exploit weak credential management practices. Network defenders should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly the privilege escalation and command and control techniques that attackers might employ following initial compromise. The vulnerability's impact on network infrastructure security makes it a high-priority target for threat actors seeking to establish persistent access to enterprise networks.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying vendor-provided security patches, enforcing strict access controls and privilege management, implementing network segmentation to limit lateral movement, and conducting thorough security audits of network infrastructure. Regular monitoring for unusual command execution patterns and implementing robust logging mechanisms for CLI activities can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should review their credential management practices and ensure that administrative access is tightly controlled and regularly audited to minimize the risk of unauthorized access to privileged network interfaces.