CVE-2022-23693 is a high-severity authenticated SQL injection vulnerability affecting Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager versions 6.10.x (6.10.6 and below) and 6.9.x (6.9.11 and below). ClearPass Policy Manager is a network access control and policy management solution widely used to enforce security policies across enterprise networks. The vulnerability resides in the web-based management interface, where an authenticated remote attacker can inject malicious SQL commands into the backend database queries. Exploitation requires valid credentials but no user interaction beyond authentication is necessary. Successful exploitation allows the attacker to read and modify sensitive data stored in the ClearPass database, including potentially user credentials, network policies, and configuration data. This can lead to complete compromise of the ClearPass cluster, enabling attackers to manipulate network access controls, escalate privileges, or disrupt network security enforcement. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.8, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability with low attack complexity and no user interaction required. Aruba has released patches to remediate this vulnerability, but unpatched instances remain at risk. No known exploits in the wild have been reported to date. The underlying weakness corresponds to CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command), a common and critical injection flaw. Given the critical role ClearPass plays in network security, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations relying on affected versions for access control and policy enforcement.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-23693 can be severe. ClearPass Policy Manager often controls network access for employees, guests, and IoT devices, enforcing authentication and authorization policies. Exploitation could allow attackers to bypass or manipulate these controls, potentially gaining unauthorized network access or disrupting legitimate access. Confidential data stored in ClearPass, such as user credentials and policy configurations, could be exposed or altered, leading to further lateral movement or privilege escalation within corporate networks. The integrity and availability of network access controls could be compromised, resulting in denial of service or unauthorized network segmentation changes. This could impact critical infrastructure, financial institutions, healthcare providers, and other sectors with stringent security requirements. Additionally, regulatory compliance obligations under GDPR and other European data protection laws could be jeopardized if sensitive personal data is exposed or altered. The requirement for authentication limits exposure to insider threats or attackers who have obtained credentials, but the risk remains significant given the potential for credential compromise through phishing or other means.

European organizations should prioritize upgrading Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager to versions above 6.10.6 or 6.9.11 as provided by Aruba to remediate CVE-2022-23693. Until patches are applied, organizations should implement strict access controls to the ClearPass management interface, restricting access to trusted administrators via network segmentation, VPNs, or jump hosts. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) should be enforced for all ClearPass administrative accounts to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Regular auditing and monitoring of ClearPass logs should be conducted to detect suspicious activities indicative of SQL injection attempts or unauthorized access. Network intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) can be tuned to detect anomalous SQL queries or unusual management interface traffic. Additionally, organizations should review and limit the privileges of ClearPass user accounts to the minimum necessary. Backup and recovery procedures for ClearPass configurations and databases should be verified to ensure rapid restoration in case of compromise. Finally, security awareness training should emphasize the importance of safeguarding ClearPass credentials and recognizing phishing attempts that could lead to credential theft.