CVE-2021-42131
📋 TL;DR
This SQL injection vulnerability in Ivanti Avalanche allows attackers with access to the Inforail Service to execute arbitrary SQL commands, potentially leading to privilege escalation. It affects Ivanti Avalanche versions before 6.3.3. Organizations using vulnerable versions are at risk of unauthorized administrative access.
💻 Affected Systems
- Ivanti Avalanche
📦 What is this software?
Avalanche by Ivanti
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise where attacker gains administrative privileges, accesses sensitive data, and potentially deploys ransomware or other malware across the managed device infrastructure.
Likely Case
Privilege escalation allowing attacker to gain administrative access to the Avalanche system, modify configurations, and potentially compromise managed devices.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper network segmentation, access controls, and monitoring are in place to detect and block SQL injection attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires authenticated access to the Inforail Service. SQL injection vulnerabilities are typically straightforward to exploit once access is obtained.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 6.3.3
Vendor Advisory: https://forums.ivanti.com/s/article/Security-Alert-CVE-s-Addressed-in-Avalanche-6-3-3
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download Ivanti Avalanche 6.3.3 from the Ivanti support portal. 2. Backup current configuration and database. 3. Run the installer and follow upgrade prompts. 4. Restart the Avalanche services after installation completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allRestrict access to the Inforail Service to only authorized administrative networks
Access Control Hardening
allImplement strict authentication and authorization controls for Inforail Service access
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate the Avalanche server from untrusted networks
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules in front of the Inforail Service
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check the Avalanche version in the web interface under Help > About, or check the installed program version in Windows Add/Remove Programs.Check Version:
Not applicable - check via web interface or Windows installed programsVerify Fix Applied:
Verify the version shows 6.3.3 or higher in the Avalanche web interface or installed programs list.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual SQL queries in database logs
- Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by successful login
- Unexpected privilege changes in user accounts
Network Indicators:
- SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests to Inforail Service endpoints
- Unusual outbound connections from the Avalanche server
SIEM Query:
source="avalanche_logs" AND (event="sql_error" OR event="authentication_failure" OR user="*admin*" AND event="privilege_change")