CVE-2012-4616 in Data Protection Advisor
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in the Web UI in EMC Data Protection Advisor (DPA) 5.6 through SP1, 5.7 through SP1, and 5.8 through SP4 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2021
The CVE-2012-4616 vulnerability represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the web user interface of EMC Data Protection Advisor versions 5.6 through SP1, 5.7 through SP1, and 5.8 through SP4. This vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. The flaw enables remote attackers to access arbitrary files on the system by exploiting insufficient input validation mechanisms within the web application's file handling processes. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as it can potentially allow attackers to access sensitive configuration files, database contents, or even system binaries that should remain protected from unauthorized access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input parameters that are processed by the web interface. Attackers can manipulate file path parameters through specially crafted requests that leverage directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ to navigate outside the intended directory boundaries. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the vulnerability may be exploitable through multiple entry points within the web UI, including but not limited to file download functions, log viewing capabilities, or configuration file access mechanisms. This lack of specific vector identification indicates a fundamental flaw in the application's input validation architecture that affects multiple components within the DPA web interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, particularly within enterprise environments that rely on EMC Data Protection Advisor for critical backup and recovery operations. Remote attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can potentially access sensitive backup data, configuration files containing authentication credentials, or system-level information that could facilitate further attacks. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers do not require local system access or network proximity, making it particularly dangerous in environments where the DPA web interface is exposed to untrusted networks. This flaw can lead to complete system compromise if attackers can access administrative configuration files or database contents that contain encryption keys, user credentials, or other sensitive operational data.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates that address the directory traversal flaw. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to the DPA web interface to only trusted administrative networks. Input validation controls should be enhanced to filter or reject potentially malicious path traversal sequences, and the principle of least privilege should be enforced when configuring web application access. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their DPA installations to identify and remediate any additional vulnerabilities that may exist within the system. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of implementing proper input validation and access control mechanisms, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential access through web application attacks. Regular security monitoring and log analysis should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts, and system administrators should maintain awareness of the specific attack patterns associated with directory traversal vulnerabilities in enterprise backup and recovery systems.