CVE-2020-7123
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2020-7123 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager that allows authenticated local users to gain elevated privileges. This affects organizations running ClearPass Policy Manager versions prior to 6.9.5, 6.8.9, and 6.7.14-HF1. Attackers with initial access to a ClearPass system could exploit this to compromise the entire platform.
💻 Affected Systems
- Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An attacker with initial access could gain root/administrator privileges, completely compromise the ClearPass system, access sensitive authentication data, and pivot to other network resources.
Likely Case
Malicious insiders or attackers who have gained initial foothold could escalate privileges to gain full control of the ClearPass system, potentially exposing RADIUS/TACACS+ credentials and network authentication data.
If Mitigated
With proper network segmentation and access controls, the impact is limited to the ClearPass system itself, though credential exposure remains a significant risk.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires authenticated local access. The vulnerability is in the local privilege escalation mechanism, making exploitation straightforward once initial access is obtained.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 6.9.5, 6.8.9, or 6.7.14-HF1
Vendor Advisory: https://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/alert/ARUBA-PSA-2021-009.txt
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Backup ClearPass configuration and data. 2. Download appropriate patch version from Aruba support portal. 3. Apply patch via ClearPass admin interface or CLI. 4. Restart the ClearPass system. 5. Verify successful update and functionality.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict Local Access
allLimit local access to ClearPass systems to only authorized administrators using strict access controls and monitoring.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate ClearPass systems from other critical infrastructure
- Enhance monitoring and logging of all local access to ClearPass systems, with alerts for suspicious privilege escalation attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check ClearPass version via admin interface or CLI command 'show version'. If version is below 6.9.5, 6.8.9, or 6.7.14-HF1, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
show versionVerify Fix Applied:
After patching, verify version is 6.9.5, 6.8.9, or 6.7.14-HF1 or higher using 'show version' command.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual privilege escalation events in system logs
- Multiple failed then successful authentication attempts from same source
- Unexpected process execution with elevated privileges
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from ClearPass system
- Authentication traffic anomalies
SIEM Query:
source="clearpass" AND (event_type="privilege_escalation" OR user="root" OR process="sudo")