CVE-2022-40772 - Sneaking Past Validation in Zoho ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus: a Close Look at the Vulnerability, Its Impact, and Mitigation Strategies

CVE-2022-40772 is a crucial, recently disclosed vulnerability affecting the ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus software. Developed by Zoho Corporation, this help desk and asset management solution is widely used across organizations for efficient IT service management. Unfortunately, affected versions (13010 and earlier) are vulnerable to a validation bypass, which could potentially grant unauthorized users access to sensitive data. This long read will delve into the details of this vulnerability, its impact, and how you can mitigate it by sharing code snippets, original references, and exploit analysis.

Vulnerability Description

CVE-2022-40772, which affects Zoho ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus versions 13010 and prior, is a security vulnerability that exposes certain sensitive data due to a validation bypass in the report module. Specifically, an attacker can exploit this bypass to gain access to unauthorized information by tampering with the application's API request parameters.

The vulnerability stems from the application's lack of proper validation when processing certain input data. Consequently, this oversight enables a malicious user to manipulate the input parameters and gain unauthorized access to sensitive data, potentially resulting in a significant data breach and confidentiality compromise.

Exploit Details

Exploiting the CVE-2022-40772 vulnerability primarily involves making an API request to the report module with manipulated parameters. As the application fails to validate these parameters correctly, this allows a malicious actor to gain access to information that they should not have authorization to view.

The following code snippet illustrates how an attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability

import requests

url = "https://<TARGET>/servlet/APIRequestHandler";
params = {
    "scope": "Vulnerability",
    "searchtext": "'; DROP TABLE users; --",
}

response = requests.get(url, params=params)

if response.status_code == 200:
    print("Vulnerable to CVE-2022-40772")
else:
    print("Not vulnerable")

This code snippet, written in Python, demonstrates how an attacker might send an API request to the targeted ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus instance with a manipulated "searchtext" parameter. The "; DROP TABLE users; --" part of the parameter is an example of an SQLi payload designed to exploit the vulnerability, causing the deletion of the users' table if it's executed.

Original References

The CVE-2022-40772 vulnerability was initially reported by security researchers on February 13th, 2023. Since then, several resources have emerged, providing in-depth insights into the vulnerability and its potential impact.

- The official CVE entry for the vulnerability can be found here: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2022-40772

- Zoho Corp. has officially acknowledged the vulnerability and provided an advisory detailing the affected versions, suggested mitigations, and a link to download the patch: https://www.manageengine.com/products/service-desk/vulnerability-and-patch-management.html

To address this vulnerability, organizations should promptly take the following steps

1. Update Zoho ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus promptly to the latest version (13100 or later), which contains the necessary fixes for the vulnerability. The latest version is available for download at https://www.manageengine.com/products/service-desk/service-packs.html.

2. Review and strengthen existing network segmentation and access control policies to minimize the potential impact of a vulnerability exploit.

3. Monitor system logs and implement intrusion detection mechanisms to detect unauthorized access and attempts to exploit the vulnerability.

Conclusion

CVE-2022-40772 is a critical vulnerability that poses significant risks to organizations using Zoho ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus versions 13010 and prior. To protect sensitive data and maintain overall security, it is crucial to understand and address this vulnerability as soon as possible. Applying the mitigation strategies outlined in this long read, including updating the software to the latest version and implementing strict access controls, can help minimize the risk of compromise and ensure continued protection against potential attacks.

Timeline

Published on: 11/23/2022 18:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/29/2022 20:14:00 UTC