CVE-2018-4021 Command injection in Netgate pfSense

High 7.2 Published 3 Dec 2018 Updated 17 Sep 2024

Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary commands on Netgate pfSense CE via the powerd_battery_mode parameter in the admin interface.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: An administrator
Attackable: Over the internet
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2018-4021?

CVE-2018-4021 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Netgate pfSense, published on 3 Dec 2018. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

Official description

An exploitable command injection vulnerability exists in the way Netgate pfSense CE 2.4.4-RELEASE processes the parameters of a specific POST request. The attacker can exploit this and gain the ability to execute arbitrary commands on the system. An attacker needs to be able to send authenticated POST requests to the administration web interface. Command injection is possible in the `powerd_battery_mode` POST parameter.

Weakness: CWE-78

Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-4021?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Netgate Pfsense.

How do I fix CVE-2018-4021?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-4021 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Upgrade, and pass arguments to programs as a list instead of through a shell. More about Command injection.

Is CVE-2018-4021 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-4021 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as GHSA-72vm-95rx-hpr3.