Full Report
[Control Systems] CISA security advisory (AV26-841)
Analysis Summary
# Vulnerability: Multiple Vulnerabilities in Malcolm Network Traffic Analysis Suite
## CVE Details
- **CVE ID:** CVE-2026-55676, CVE-2026-63133, CVE-2026-63134, CVE-2026-63177, CVE-2026-19670, CVE-2026-19671
- **CVSS Score:** Up to 9.8 (Critical) - *Note: Scores vary by specific CVE; the highest impacts typically involve RCE or Authentication Bypass.*
- **CWE:** Varies (Includes Improper Input Validation, Cross-Site Scripting, and Path Traversal)
## Affected Systems
- **Products:** Malcolm (Open-source network traffic analysis tool suite)
- **Versions:**
- Versions prior to 26.06.1
- Versions prior to 26.07.0
- Versions prior to or equal to 26.07.1
- **Configurations:** Default installations utilizing vulnerable sub-components (Logstash, Kibana, or Arkime integrations).
## Vulnerability Description
Malcolm is a powerful network traffic analysis tool suite. The identified vulnerabilities involve multiple security flaws within its integrated components:
1. **Input Validation Issues:** Several CVEs relate to how Malcolm processes uploaded PCAP files or log data, potentially leading to Remote Code Execution (RCE).
2. **Authentication Flaws:** Some versions are susceptible to bypasses in the authentication proxy layer.
3. **Data Exposure:** Improper handling of internal configurations may allow unauthorized access to sensitive environment variables or system metadata.
## Exploitation
- **Status:** Not currently reported as exploited in the wild; PoC code for several underlying component vulnerabilities is available.
- **Complexity:** Low to Medium
- **Attack Vector:** Network
## Impact
- **Confidentiality:** High (Potential access to captured network traffic and credentials)
- **Integrity:** High (Modification of logs or system configuration)
- **Availability:** High (Potential for service disruption or system crash)
## Remediation
### Patches
- **Upgrade to Malcolm v26.08.0 or later:** Users are strongly advised to update to the latest stable release which addresses the cumulative vulnerabilities found in previous iterations.
- **Component Updates:** Ensure Docker containers are pulled with the latest tags to update sub-services like Arkime and the Elastic Stack.
### Workarounds
- **Network Segmentation:** Isolate the Malcolm instance from the public internet. Access should be restricted to a management VPN or a trusted internal VLAN.
- **Access Control:** Implement strict IP whitelisting for the web interface.
- **Read-Only Mode:** Where possible, run analytical components in a restricted permission environment.
## Detection
- **Indicators of Compromise:** Monitor for unusual outbound traffic from the Malcolm host, unauthorized user creation in the authentication logs, or unexpected file writes in the `/tmp` or upload directories.
- **Detection methods and tools:** Use built-in Malcolm logs (Logstash/Filebeat) to monitor for malformed headers or injection attempts in the user interface.
## References
- CISA ICSA-26-230-01: hxxps[://]www[.]cisa[.]gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-26-230-01
- Malcolm GitHub Repository: hxxps[://]github[.]com/cisagov/Malcolm
- Canadian Centre for Cyber Security Advisory: hxxps[://]www[.]cyber[.]gc[.]ca/en/alerts-advisories/control-systems-cisa-security-advisory-av26-841