CVE-2012-4615 in It Operations Intelligence
Summary
by MITRE
EMC Smarts Network Configuration Manager (NCM) before 9.1 uses a hardcoded encryption key for the storage of credentials, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4615 affects EMC Smarts Network Configuration Manager version 9.1 and earlier, presenting a critical security flaw in credential storage mechanisms. This issue stems from the application's implementation of hardcoded encryption keys within its credential management system, creating a fundamental weakness that undermines the confidentiality of stored authentication data. The hardcoded nature of the encryption key means that all credentials stored within the system can be decrypted using the same static key, effectively eliminating any cryptographic protection that should normally safeguard sensitive information.
The technical flaw manifests through the application's failure to implement proper key management practices for credential encryption. Instead of generating unique encryption keys or utilizing secure key derivation functions, the NCM application employs a predetermined, hard-coded encryption key that remains consistent across all installations. This approach violates fundamental security principles and creates a single point of failure where compromising this static key immediately grants access to all stored credentials. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that local users can exploit this weakness through various means including direct file access, memory inspection, or reverse engineering of the application components that handle credential storage.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on EMC Smarts NCM for network configuration management. Local attackers who can access the system can extract authentication credentials for network devices, administrative accounts, and other sensitive information stored within the application. The compromised credentials can then be used for lateral movement within the network, unauthorized access to critical infrastructure, or escalation of privileges to gain deeper system access. This vulnerability particularly impacts environments where the NCM application runs with elevated privileges or where it stores credentials for multiple network devices and systems. The attack surface expands when considering that the hardcoded key may be discoverable through reverse engineering, memory dumps, or by analyzing application binaries, making the vulnerability exploitable by attackers with minimal technical expertise.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-327, which addresses the use of a broken or weak cryptographic algorithm, and CWE-798, which covers the use of hard-coded credentials. This weakness creates a direct pathway for privilege escalation and unauthorized access that can lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1552.001, which involves the use of unencrypted credentials for privilege escalation, and T1078.004, which covers valid accounts used for lateral movement. Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to EMC Smarts NCM version 9.1 or later, which addresses this vulnerability through proper credential encryption mechanisms. Additional protective measures include restricting local access to systems running the NCM application, implementing network segmentation, and conducting thorough security assessments to identify any compromised credentials that may have been exposed through this vulnerability. The incident highlights the critical importance of proper key management practices and secure credential storage implementations in enterprise security infrastructure.