CVE-2011-0442 in Avamar
Summary
by MITRE
The service utility in EMC Avamar 5.x before 5.0.4 uses cleartext to transmit event details in (1) service requests and (2) e-mail messages, which might allow remote attackers to obtain sensitive information by sniffing the network.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/09/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0442 affects EMC Avamar 5.x versions prior to 5.0.4, specifically within the service utility component that handles event details transmission. This flaw represents a significant security weakness in data protection mechanisms, as it exposes sensitive information through unencrypted communication channels. The vulnerability manifests in two distinct attack vectors where event details are transmitted using cleartext protocols, making them susceptible to interception by malicious actors monitoring network traffic. The service utility component is responsible for managing various operational events and notifications within the Avamar backup and recovery system, creating a potential attack surface that could compromise the entire backup infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of encryption mechanisms during data transmission processes. When service requests and email messages containing event details are sent over the network, they traverse without any form of cryptographic protection, leaving the information vulnerable to passive network sniffing attacks. This cleartext transmission approach violates fundamental security principles for protecting sensitive data in transit, particularly when dealing with backup and recovery systems that inherently handle confidential organizational data. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-312, which describes the exposure of sensitive information through cleartext transmission, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage in network communication.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it could enable attackers to gain insights into backup operations, system configurations, and potentially sensitive data patterns within the Avamar environment. An attacker successfully intercepting these cleartext communications could obtain detailed information about backup schedules, system status, and operational events that might facilitate more sophisticated attacks against the backup infrastructure. This information could be leveraged to plan targeted attacks against the backup system, potentially leading to data corruption, unauthorized access to backup data, or even complete system compromise. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on EMC Avamar for critical data protection, as the exposure of backup system communications could undermine the integrity and confidentiality of their entire backup strategy.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to EMC Avamar 5.0.4 or later versions where the cleartext transmission issue has been addressed. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring and intrusion detection measures to identify potential interception attempts. The remediation process should include comprehensive security assessments of all backup systems and communication channels to ensure no other cleartext vulnerabilities exist within the infrastructure. Organizations may also need to review and strengthen their overall network security posture, including implementing encrypted communication protocols such as TLS for all backup system communications. This vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of secure communication practices in backup and recovery systems, where the exposure of operational details can significantly compromise the security of an organization's data protection mechanisms.