CVE-2006-3569 in ONTAP
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in NetApp Data ONTAP 7.0x through 7.0.4P8D9, 7.1x, 7.1.0.1x, and 7.2RC1, RC2, and RC3, as used in IBM N series Filers and other products, allows unauthorized users to gain access to privileged commands via unknown vectors, probably related to incorrect capabilities with the audit role.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-3569 represents a critical authorization flaw within NetApp Data ONTAP systems that affects multiple version releases including 7.0x through 7.0.4P8D9, 7.1x, 7.1.0.1x, and 7.2RC1 through RC3. This issue specifically targets the audit role capabilities within the system's privilege management framework, creating a potential pathway for unauthorized access to privileged commands that should remain restricted to authorized administrators. The vulnerability exists in systems manufactured by NetApp and deployed in IBM N series Filers and similar storage appliances, making it particularly concerning given the widespread deployment of these storage solutions in enterprise environments. The unspecified nature of the exact attack vectors suggests that multiple pathways may exist for exploitation, which compounds the security risk and makes comprehensive mitigation more challenging.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper handling of audit role capabilities, where the system fails to adequately enforce access controls for privileged commands. This misconfiguration allows unauthorized users to escalate their privileges or directly execute commands that should be restricted to administrators with elevated permissions. The vulnerability likely stems from insufficient validation of user credentials and role-based access controls within the Data ONTAP operating system, creating a gap in the authorization model that attackers can exploit. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control mechanisms, and represents a classic case of privilege escalation where users can gain elevated system privileges without proper authentication or authorization. The audit role, which should typically provide monitoring and logging capabilities without administrative access, is being improperly configured to allow command execution that exceeds its intended scope.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential data breaches, system compromise, and complete loss of control over storage infrastructure. Organizations utilizing affected NetApp systems may face significant security risks including unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion, as well as potential system downtime or complete compromise of storage resources. The vulnerability affects enterprise storage environments where data integrity and access control are paramount, making it particularly dangerous for organizations handling sensitive information. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability could potentially gain full administrative control over storage systems, leading to data exfiltration, system corruption, or disruption of business operations. The impact is amplified by the fact that these storage systems often contain critical enterprise data, making them attractive targets for both external attackers and insider threats.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2006-3569 should focus on immediate patch deployment from NetApp to address the specific privilege escalation flaw in audit role capabilities. Organizations should implement comprehensive access control reviews to ensure that audit roles are properly restricted and that no unauthorized users have access to elevated privileges. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized access attempts to storage systems, while regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar privilege escalation vulnerabilities. The remediation process should include disabling unnecessary administrative accounts, implementing strong authentication mechanisms, and establishing proper audit logging to track access attempts and privilege changes. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing the principle of least privilege across all storage system components and regularly review role assignments to ensure that access rights align with job requirements. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and may be leveraged in conjunction with other attack vectors to achieve persistent access to storage infrastructure, making comprehensive defense-in-depth strategies essential for protecting against exploitation.