CVE-2023-22934 in Splunk
Summary
by MITRE • 02/14/2023
In Splunk Enterprise versions below 8.1.13, 8.2.10, and 9.0.4, the ‘pivot’ search processing language (SPL) command lets a search bypass [SPL safeguards for risky commands](https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/latest/Security/SPLsafeguards) using a saved search job. The vulnerability requires an authenticated user to craft the saved job and a higher privileged user to initiate a request within their browser. The vulnerability affects instances with Splunk Web enabled.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/15/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-22934 represents a significant security flaw in Splunk Enterprise that undermines the platform's built-in safeguards for search processing language commands. This weakness specifically targets the 'pivot' command within Splunk's SPL functionality, which is designed to create dynamic searches that can reference and build upon existing search results. The vulnerability operates through a sophisticated bypass mechanism that allows malicious users to circumvent the standard security controls that normally prevent execution of dangerous SPL commands. The flaw is particularly concerning because it leverages the legitimate saved search job functionality to execute unauthorized operations, making it difficult to detect through conventional monitoring approaches.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of search commands when they are executed through saved search jobs. When a user creates a saved search job containing a pivot command, the system should enforce security restrictions that prevent potentially harmful operations. However, the flaw allows attackers to craft specific saved jobs that can bypass these safeguards when executed by higher-privileged users who initiate browser-based requests. This requires a two-pronged attack approach where an authenticated user with lower privileges must first create the malicious saved job, and then a more privileged user must unknowingly trigger the execution through their browser session. The vulnerability specifically affects Splunk Enterprise installations with Splunk Web enabled, indicating that the web interface component plays a crucial role in enabling this attack vector.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-22934 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to potentially execute arbitrary SPL commands that could compromise system integrity and data confidentiality. The vulnerability could allow malicious actors to access sensitive data, perform unauthorized searches across multiple data sources, or even execute commands that could lead to system compromise. Given that the attack requires both a lower-privileged user to create the malicious saved job and a higher-privileged user to execute it, the vulnerability demonstrates a sophisticated social engineering component that could be exploited through insider threats or compromised accounts. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that Splunk Web is enabled on many production systems, making this vulnerability exploitable in environments where the web interface is necessary for standard operations.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement the vendor-provided patches for Splunk Enterprise versions 8.1.13, 8.2.10, and 9.0.4, as these releases contain the necessary security fixes to address the bypass mechanism. System administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of saved search jobs to identify any potentially malicious entries that may have been created prior to patching. The mitigation strategy should include enhanced monitoring of saved search job creation activities, particularly for users with elevated privileges, and implementation of additional access controls that limit the ability to create and execute potentially dangerous saved searches. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and represents a specific instance of privilege escalation through command injection techniques. Security teams should also consider implementing network-level monitoring to detect unusual patterns of saved search job execution, as this attack vector could potentially be used to establish persistence within Splunk environments. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the use of legitimate system tools and processes to bypass security controls.