Flexnet Remote Code Execution Scanner

Flexnet is a software license management solution widely used by enterprises to manage, track, and optimize their software licenses. The platform provides tools to ensure compliance and maximize the value of available licenses by reducing unnecessary expenditure on unused or duplicate software licenses. It caters to needs across diverse industries, including IT, healthcare, and finance. Security and operational efficiency are vital, given that it interacts with various components and integrations of enterprise environments. Managing a broad range of software vendor licenses, its effectiveness is crucial in maintaining the financial and operational health of an organization. This makes the security of Flexnet paramount to safeguard sensitive software assets against unauthorized access.

The ‘Remote Code Execution’ vulnerability in Flexnet, particularly associated with the Apache Log4j library, allows attackers to execute arbitrary code within the targeted system. It poses significant risks as it facilitates unauthorized command execution remotely without interaction from the user side. Such vulnerabilities, especially those related to the Log4j JNDI (Java Naming and Directory Interface), make systems susceptible to intrusions which can be severe in outcomes. Attackers exploit this vulnerability often by manipulating input data that gets interpreted by the Log4j library. This unchecked interpretation could result in commands being executed with system privileges. Identifying and mitigating this flaw is crucial to preventing potential exploitation.

Technically, the vulnerability arises from insecure JNDI lookups within the Log4j library, where user inputs are logged using Log4j. Insecure JNDI lookups mean that certain crafted data patterns within log messages can trigger the library to fetch resources from external, potentially malicious sources. The endpoint ‘/flexnet/logon.do’ appears to be involved, with parameters like ‘username’ being indirectly manipulable, allowing attackers to inject payloads. The exploit involves crafting JNDI payloads that deceive the application into requesting and executing arbitrary bytecode hosted on the attacker's server. This is depicted in how the template uses interactions to detect such exploits.

If exploited, the vulnerability can lead to an attacker gaining full administrative control over the affected systems. The potential effects include theft of sensitive data, deployment of malicious payloads, and even persistently compromising the system for prolonged access. Moreover, it can break down entire network segments through data corruption or destruction, disrupting business-critical services and operations. Potential destructive network penetration or data breaches can have far-reaching impacts on operational continuity and privacy concerns for affected organizations.

REFERENCES

• https://community.flexera.com/t5/Revenera-Company-News/Security-Advisory-Log4j-Java-Vulnerability-CVE-2021-4104-CVE/ba-p/216905