CVE-2018-7058
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2018-7058 is an authentication bypass vulnerability in Aruba ClearPass that allows attackers to gain administrator privileges on affected systems. The vulnerability affects all versions of ClearPass 6.6.x prior to 6.6.9 and is exposed through web interfaces including administrative, guest captive portal, and API endpoints. Organizations that expose ClearPass web interfaces to untrusted networks are most at risk.
💻 Affected Systems
- Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of the ClearPass system with administrative access, allowing attackers to modify configurations, access sensitive authentication data, and potentially pivot to other network resources.
Likely Case
Unauthorized administrative access to ClearPass, enabling attackers to modify policies, create backdoor accounts, and access user authentication credentials.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if web interfaces are not exposed to untrusted networks and proper network segmentation is in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
The vulnerability allows authentication bypass without credentials, making exploitation straightforward for attackers with network access to vulnerable interfaces.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 6.6.9 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/alert/ARUBA-PSA-2018-003.txt
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download ClearPass 6.6.9 or later from Aruba support portal. 2. Backup current configuration. 3. Apply the update through the ClearPass administrative interface. 4. Restart the ClearPass appliance as required.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Isolation
allRestrict access to ClearPass web interfaces to trusted networks only
Configure firewall rules to limit access to ClearPass management IPs/ports from authorized networks only
Interface Disablement
allDisable unnecessary web interfaces if not required
Disable guest captive portal and API interfaces if not in use through ClearPass configuration
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit ClearPass web interface access to trusted IP addresses only
- Monitor ClearPass authentication logs for suspicious activity and unauthorized access attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check ClearPass version via administrative interface: System > About. If version is 6.6.x and less than 6.6.9, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
ssh admin@clearpass-host 'show version' or check via web interfaceVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 6.6.9 or later in System > About. Test authentication requirements for all web interfaces.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Failed authentication attempts followed by successful administrative access
- Unusual administrative login times or source IPs
- Configuration changes from unexpected sources
Network Indicators:
- Unusual traffic patterns to ClearPass web interfaces
- Administrative API calls from unauthorized sources
SIEM Query:
source="clearpass" AND (event_type="admin_login" OR event_type="config_change") AND src_ip NOT IN [trusted_ips]