CVE-2026-12269 in DDI Central
Summary
by MITRE • 09/28/2026
Zohocorp ManageEngine DDI Central 6.2.0 build below 6201 had a Keepalived configuration injection vulnerability in the HA configuration workflow. This issue could allow an authenticated operator-level user to modify the Keepalived configuration and potentially execute commands as root on the DDI Central host.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/28/2026
The identified security flaw resides within ManageEngine Zohocorp DDI Central version 6.2.0, specifically in builds prior to 6201, affecting the High Availability (HA) configuration workflow. This vulnerability is classified as a Keepalived configuration injection issue, which stems from insufficient validation and sanitization of user-supplied input during the process of configuring high-availability settings for the DDI Central application. The core technical deficiency lies in how the system processes parameters intended to define HA behavior, allowing an authenticated operator-level user to inject malicious content into the Keepalived configuration files that govern network failover mechanisms.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability enables privilege escalation from an operator account to root level on the underlying host operating system. By manipulating specific fields within the HA configuration interface, an attacker can introduce arbitrary commands or script fragments that are subsequently executed by the Keepalived process with elevated privileges. This occurs because the application fails to properly escape special characters or restrict input to safe values before writing them to system-level configuration files. Consequently, this represents a classic case of command injection facilitated through misconfiguration workflows rather than direct exploitation of an unauthenticated remote code execution vector.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for complete host compromise. An attacker with operator-level access can leverage this flaw to gain full control over the DDI Central server, which typically manages critical Domain Name System (DNS), DHCP, and IP Address Management (IPAM) infrastructure. Compromise at this level allows for unauthorized modification of network configurations, interception or manipulation of DNS responses leading to phishing or malware distribution via DNS spoofing, disruption of service availability through denial-of-service conditions, and lateral movement within the internal network using credentials harvested from the compromised host.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command (OS Command Injection) as it involves the injection of malicious commands into a system process. Additionally, it maps to ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter for executing arbitrary code and potentially T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation given the transition from operator to root privileges. The attack vector is classified as Local with Authentication Required (AV:L/AC:H/Au:S), meaning it requires an existing authenticated session at a lower privilege level, which mitigates risk slightly but remains critical due to the high impact of successful exploitation.
To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations running ManageEngine Zohocorp DDI Central must immediately apply the vendor-provided patch for build 6201 or any subsequent version that addresses this specific configuration injection flaw. Until patches are applied, administrators should enforce strict least-privilege principles by ensuring that operator-level accounts do not have access to HA configuration workflows unless absolutely necessary. Network segmentation can also help limit lateral movement if an attacker gains initial foothold via other means. Regular auditing of system logs for unusual Keepalived process activity and monitoring for unauthorized changes to high availability settings are recommended defensive measures while the patching window is managed.