CVE-2018-21025
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Centreon VM allows attackers to escalate privileges to root by exploiting incorrect file permissions in the centreon-backup.pl script. Attackers can execute arbitrary code with root privileges by crafting a malicious script that leverages misconfigured configuration files. This affects all Centreon VM users running versions through 19.04.3.
💻 Affected Systems
- Centreon VM
📦 What is this software?
Centreon Vm by Centreon
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with root-level access, allowing attackers to install persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, or disrupt monitoring operations.
Likely Case
Privilege escalation to root leading to unauthorized access to monitoring data, configuration manipulation, or lateral movement within the network.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper access controls, least privilege principles, and network segmentation are implemented to restrict access to Centreon systems.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires some level of access to execute the vulnerable script, but the privilege escalation mechanism is straightforward once access is obtained.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Versions after 19.04.3
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/centreon/centreon/issues/7082
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update Centreon VM to version 19.04.4 or later. 2. Apply the patch that corrects file permissions on centreon-backup.pl and its configuration files. 3. Verify the fix by checking file permissions.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Correct File Permissions Manually
linuxManually adjust permissions on centreon-backup.pl and related configuration files to prevent unauthorized execution.
chmod 750 /usr/share/centreon/bin/centreon-backup.pl
chmod 640 /etc/centreon/centreon-backup.conf
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict access to Centreon VM systems using network firewalls and access controls.
- Implement strict user privilege management and monitor for unauthorized privilege escalation attempts.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Centreon VM version with 'centreon -v' or examine /etc/centreon/centreon.conf for version information. Versions 19.04.3 and earlier are vulnerable.Check Version:
centreon -vVerify Fix Applied:
Verify file permissions: 'ls -la /usr/share/centreon/bin/centreon-backup.pl' should show proper permissions (e.g., -rwxr-x---).📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual execution of centreon-backup.pl by non-privileged users
- Sudden privilege escalation events in system logs
- Unauthorized changes to configuration files
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected network connections from Centreon VM system
- Anomalous outbound traffic patterns
SIEM Query:
source="centreon.log" AND (event="privilege_escalation" OR process="centreon-backup.pl")🔗 References
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/10/09/2
- https://github.com/centreon/centreon/issues/7082
- https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/10/08/1
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/10/09/2
- https://github.com/centreon/centreon/issues/7082
- https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/10/08/1
