CVE-2005-0349 in BrightStor ARCserve Backup
Summary
by MITRE
The production release of the UniversalAgent for UNIX in BrightStor ARCserve Backup 11.1 contains hard-coded credentials, which allows remote attackers to access the file system and possibly execute arbitrary commands.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/02/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0349 represents a critical security flaw in the BrightStor ARCserve Backup 11.1 UniversalAgent for UNIX implementation. This issue stems from the inclusion of hard-coded authentication credentials within the production release of the backup software, creating a persistent security weakness that affects organizations utilizing this particular version of the backup solution. The presence of these hardcoded credentials fundamentally undermines the security model of the system, as they provide unauthorized access paths that bypass normal authentication mechanisms.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests through the embedding of specific username and password combinations directly into the software binaries or configuration files of the UniversalAgent component. These credentials remain static throughout the software lifecycle and are not subject to change or rotation, making them highly susceptible to discovery through reverse engineering or simple inspection of the software components. The flaw directly maps to CWE-798, which categorizes the use of hard-coded credentials as a significant security weakness, and aligns with the broader category of insecure credential storage practices that have plagued enterprise software implementations for decades.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates severe risk exposure for affected organizations as remote attackers can leverage these hardcoded credentials to gain unauthorized access to the file system managed by the backup agent. The potential for arbitrary command execution represents the most dangerous aspect of this flaw, as it could enable attackers to escalate privileges, modify backup configurations, or even compromise the underlying operating system. The remote accessibility of these credentials means that attackers do not require physical access or prior compromise of other system components to exploit the vulnerability, significantly expanding the attack surface and reducing the time required to achieve successful exploitation.
The security implications extend beyond simple unauthorized access, as this vulnerability could enable attackers to manipulate backup data, potentially leading to data corruption, unauthorized data exfiltration, or the creation of persistent backdoors within the backup infrastructure. Organizations relying on BrightStor ARCserve Backup 11.1 would face significant operational disruption if attackers successfully exploit this vulnerability, potentially compromising their entire backup environment and undermining their disaster recovery capabilities. The attack vector is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability exists in a production release, indicating that organizations may have been operating with this security weakness for extended periods without awareness of the risk.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate credential rotation and software updates from the vendor, though the hardcoded nature of the credentials may require complete replacement of affected components. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to backup systems and employ monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized access attempts. The remediation process must include thorough vulnerability scanning to identify all instances of the affected software and ensure complete removal of hardcoded credentials from system configurations. This vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of proper credential management practices and the dangers of embedding sensitive authentication information within software distributions, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1555.003 for credential access and T1078 for valid accounts usage.