CVE-2021-40993
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a remote SQL injection vulnerability in Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager that allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands on affected systems. Organizations running vulnerable versions of ClearPass Policy Manager 6.8.x, 6.9.x, or 6.10.x are affected. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized data access, modification, or system compromise.
💻 Affected Systems
- Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of the ClearPass database, allowing attackers to steal sensitive authentication data, modify user privileges, or gain administrative access to the entire network infrastructure managed by ClearPass.
Likely Case
Data exfiltration from the ClearPass database, including user credentials, device information, and policy configurations, potentially leading to lateral movement within the network.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation, database hardening, and input validation controls in place, potentially preventing successful exploitation.
🎯 Exploit Status
SQL injection vulnerabilities typically have low exploitation complexity, especially when remote and unauthenticated.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: ClearPass Policy Manager 6.10.2, 6.9.7-HF1, or 6.8.9-HF1
Vendor Advisory: https://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/alert/ARUBA-PSA-2021-018.txt
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download the appropriate patch from Aruba support portal. 2. Backup current configuration. 3. Apply the patch following Aruba's upgrade documentation. 4. Restart the ClearPass services or appliance.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allRestrict network access to ClearPass Policy Manager to only trusted management networks and required client networks.
Web Application Firewall
allDeploy a WAF with SQL injection protection rules in front of ClearPass to block exploitation attempts.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit which systems can communicate with ClearPass
- Enable detailed logging and monitoring for SQL injection attempts and unusual database activity
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check ClearPass version via web interface: Admin UI > System > About, or CLI: show versionCheck Version:
show version (CLI) or check Admin UI > System > AboutVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 6.10.2 or higher, 6.9.7-HF1 or higher, or 6.8.9-HF1 or higher📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual SQL queries in database logs
- Failed authentication attempts with SQL-like patterns
- Unexpected database connection attempts
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing SQL keywords (SELECT, UNION, etc.) to ClearPass endpoints
- Unusual traffic patterns to ClearPass database ports
SIEM Query:
source="clearpass" AND ("sql" OR "union" OR "select" OR "insert" OR "update" OR "delete")