CVE-2021-36298
📋 TL;DR
Dell EMC InsightIQ versions before 4.1.4 use weak cryptographic algorithms in SSH, allowing unauthenticated attackers to bypass authentication and gain complete remote control. This affects all InsightIQ deployments running vulnerable versions, potentially compromising SSH services and system integrity.
💻 Affected Systems
- Dell EMC InsightIQ
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system takeover allowing attacker to access, modify, or delete data, disrupt services, and use the system as a foothold for lateral movement.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to SSH services leading to data exposure, configuration changes, and potential service disruption.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if system is isolated, monitored, and has additional authentication layers, though vulnerability remains present.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation leverages known weaknesses in cryptographic algorithms, making it relatively straightforward for attackers with appropriate tools.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 4.1.4 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/000191604
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Backup current configuration. 2. Download InsightIQ 4.1.4 or later from Dell support. 3. Follow Dell's upgrade procedure for InsightIQ appliances. 4. Verify successful upgrade and SSH functionality.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable SSH Service
linuxTemporarily disable SSH access to prevent exploitation while planning upgrade.
systemctl stop sshd
systemctl disable sshd
Network Access Control
linuxRestrict SSH access to trusted IP addresses only using firewall rules.
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -s [TRUSTED_IP] -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -j DROP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Isolate the InsightIQ system from untrusted networks using firewall rules
- Implement network monitoring and intrusion detection for SSH connection attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check InsightIQ version via web interface or SSH: version should be less than 4.1.4Check Version:
ssh admin@insightiq_ip 'show version' or check web interface System InformationVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm version is 4.1.4 or later and test SSH connections with modern cryptographic algorithms📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Failed SSH authentication attempts with unusual cryptographic algorithms
- Successful SSH logins from unexpected sources
Network Indicators:
- SSH traffic using weak cryptographic algorithms (e.g., CBC mode ciphers, MD5/SHA1 MACs)
- SSH protocol negotiation showing vulnerable algorithms
SIEM Query:
source="insightiq" AND (event="ssh" OR port=22) AND (cipher="*cbc*" OR mac="*md5*" OR mac="*sha1*")