CVE-2024-33511 in ArubaOS
Summary
by MITRE • 05/01/2024
There is a buffer overflow vulnerability in the underlying Automatic Reporting service that could lead to unauthenticated remote code execution by sending specially crafted packets destined to the PAPI (Aruba's access point management protocol) UDP port (8211). Successful exploitation of this vulnerability results in the ability to execute arbitrary code as a privileged user on the underlying operating system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-33511 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within Aruba's Automatic Reporting service component that operates on the PAPI (Aruba access point management protocol) UDP port 8211. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and memory management practices within the service's packet processing logic, creating an exploitable condition that allows remote attackers to manipulate memory structures through carefully crafted network packets. The vulnerability exists at the protocol level where the service fails to properly bounds-check incoming data before copying it into fixed-size buffers, enabling attackers to overwrite adjacent memory locations and potentially redirect program execution flow.
The technical exploitation of this buffer overflow vulnerability leverages the inherent design weakness in how the Automatic Reporting service handles incoming PAPI protocol packets. When a malicious actor sends specially constructed UDP packets to port 8211, the service processes these packets without adequate validation of packet size or content structure. This processing flaw allows an attacker to exceed the allocated buffer boundaries, causing memory corruption that can be systematically manipulated to achieve arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability specifically targets the service's handling of user-supplied data within the PAPI protocol implementation, making it particularly dangerous as it operates at the network level where attackers can exploit it without requiring authentication credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple remote code execution to encompass complete system compromise and potential lateral movement within network environments. Successful exploitation enables attackers to execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected service account, which typically runs with elevated system permissions. This privilege escalation capability allows adversaries to gain full control over the underlying operating system, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system persistence mechanisms, and further network infiltration. The unauthenticated nature of the attack means that any external party with network access to the affected system can exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in environments where such services are exposed to untrusted networks.
Organizations affected by CVE-2024-33511 should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate affected systems from untrusted networks, firewall rules to block UDP traffic on port 8211, and deployment of network intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes heap-based buffer overflow conditions, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter while also relating to T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates characteristics of T1566 for initial access through network service exploitation, making it a critical concern for organizations relying on Aruba wireless infrastructure. Security teams should prioritize patch deployment from Aruba as soon as available, implement network monitoring for anomalous PAPI protocol traffic, and conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts that may have already occurred within their environments.