External risk intelligence

SolarWinds Orion API Authentication Bypass

CVE advisoryKnown Exploit

CVE-2020-10148

The SolarWinds Orion API has an authentication bypass vulnerability, allowing remote attackers to execute commands and potentially compromise the instance. This poses a significant business risk to affected organizations by enabling unauthorized access and control over systems.

4Halo Surface Signal

Missing Authentication

Solarwinds Orion Platform

2019.42020.22020.2.1

External exposure likelihood

Halo Surface Signal score for CVE-2020-10148

The SolarWinds Orion Platform is an enterprise management suite often deployed with components, including APIs and web-based management interfaces, that are intended to be accessible across internal network segments and in some configurations may be exposed to the public internet to facilitate remote management and monitoring.

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

The SolarWinds Orion Platform contains a vulnerability in its API that permits an attacker to bypass authentication. This flaw allows unauthorized execution of API commands, potentially leading to a compromise of the Orion instance. Such a compromise can expose sensitive data and disrupt system operations.

  • Vulnerable API component
  • Authentication bypass weakness
  • System compromise impact

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

The SolarWinds Orion API has an authentication bypass vulnerability. This allows a remote attacker to bypass security controls and execute commands through the API. Such an action could lead to a compromise of the affected SolarWinds instance, potentially impacting the systems managed by it.

  • Exposure through accessible API.
  • Attacker bypasses authentication.
  • Commands execute, impacting systems.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

The SolarWinds Orion API has a critical vulnerability that permits an unauthenticated attacker to bypass security controls and execute arbitrary commands. This could lead to a complete compromise of the affected SolarWinds instance, potentially impacting critical business operations and sensitive data. The severity and ease of exploitation suggest a significant risk to organizations utilizing the vulnerable product.

  • Attackers with remote access.
  • No authentication required.
  • High business risk and urgency.

Priority actions

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

The SolarWinds Orion Platform contains a critical vulnerability that allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and execute API commands, potentially compromising the instance. This poses a significant business risk by enabling unauthorized access to sensitive data and system control. Organizations should prioritize addressing this vulnerability to protect their infrastructure and operations.

  • Identify exposed SolarWinds Orion assets.
  • Reduce exposure or isolate affected systems.
  • Apply vendor fixes, verify, and monitor.

Frequently asked questions

What is the SolarWinds Orion Platform and its primary functions?

The SolarWinds Orion Platform, now known as the SolarWinds Platform, is a foundational suite for IT monitoring, observability, and service management. It integrates various modules like network, server, and application monitoring into a unified web console, providing dashboards, alerts, and reports. It supports both on-premises and cloud-native solutions, facilitating comprehensive IT operations management.

How does CVE-2020-10148 enable an attacker to bypass authentication using CWE-288?

CVE-2020-10148 exploits authentication bypass via an alternate path or channel (CWE-288) and missing authentication checks (CWE-306). Attackers can craft specific URI requests, potentially by appending parameters like "WebResource.adx" or "ScriptResource.adx", to trick the Orion API into setting a "SkipAuthorization" flag, allowing them to execute commands without proper authentication.

What is the scope of impact if an attacker bypasses authentication in the SolarWinds Orion API?

An attacker who bypasses authentication via CVE-2020-10148 can execute arbitrary API commands. This can lead to a compromise of the SolarWinds instance, granting the attacker extensive visibility and control over the monitored infrastructure. This could result in data exfiltration, lateral movement within networks, and a significant impact on critical business operations.

How does the Halo Surface Signal assess the relevance of CVE-2020-10148?

The Halo Surface Signal assesses CVE-2020-10148 as having a 'Likely' relevance. This is because the SolarWinds Orion Platform is an enterprise management suite, often deployed with components like APIs and web interfaces that may be accessible across internal network segments or even exposed to the internet for remote management, increasing the potential for exploitation.

What are the recommended practical steps to address the CVE-2020-10148 vulnerability?

To address CVE-2020-10148, organizations should immediately apply the relevant security hotfixes or updates provided by SolarWinds for their specific Orion Platform version. Additional mitigation includes restricting network access to the API to authorized hosts only, reviewing API access logs for suspicious activity, and considering temporary disabling of external API access until patching is complete. Verifying patch installations and monitoring for unusual API requests are also crucial.

References

Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI)

Sources: threatActor