CVE-2013-3500 in GroundWork Monitor
Summary
by MITRE
The Foundation webapp admin interface in GroundWork Monitor Enterprise 6.7.0 uses the nagios account as the owner of writable files under /usr/local/groundwork, which allows context-dependent attackers to bypass intended filesystem restrictions by leveraging access to a GroundWork script.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-3500 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the GroundWork Monitor Enterprise 6.7.0 web application administration interface. This issue stems from improper file system permissions and ownership configurations that create an insecure default setup for the foundational web application components. The vulnerability specifically affects the administrative interface components located within the /usr/local/groundwork directory structure, where critical writable files are owned by the privileged nagios user account rather than the appropriate administrative user context. This misconfiguration creates a dangerous situation where unauthorized users with access to specific GroundWork scripts can exploit the existing file system permissions to gain elevated privileges and bypass intended security boundaries.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on the context-dependent nature of the attack vector, where attackers must first obtain access to a GroundWork script that can be leveraged to manipulate the file system permissions or directly execute commands with elevated privileges. This flaw aligns with CWE-276, which addresses incorrect permissions for security-critical resources, and demonstrates how improper access control mechanisms can be exploited to undermine the security model of enterprise monitoring solutions. The vulnerability exists because the application does not properly enforce separation of privileges between different user roles, allowing scripts that should only be accessible to administrators to be used by attackers who have gained access to less privileged accounts. This creates a path for attackers to escalate their privileges from a standard user account to a system-level privileged account through the manipulation of files owned by the nagios user.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially compromise the entire monitoring infrastructure and the sensitive data it manages. GroundWork Monitor Enterprise systems typically handle critical infrastructure monitoring data, including system logs, performance metrics, and network status information that organizations rely upon for security operations and compliance reporting. When an attacker can leverage this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges, they can potentially access or modify monitoring data, disable security alerts, or even establish persistent backdoors within the infrastructure. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it affects the administrative interface, which is often the primary target for attackers seeking to gain comprehensive control over monitoring systems. This vulnerability can be exploited as part of a broader attack chain where the initial compromise might occur through other means, but the presence of this flaw provides a reliable path for privilege escalation and persistence.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-3500 should focus on immediate remediation of the file system permissions and ownership configurations within the GroundWork Monitor Enterprise installation. Organizations should ensure that all writable files under the /usr/local/groundwork directory are owned by the appropriate administrative user accounts rather than the nagios user, and that proper access controls are enforced through the file system permission model. System administrators should implement regular security audits to verify that file ownership and permissions align with security best practices and that no unauthorized modifications have occurred to the application directory structure. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper privilege separation and least privilege principles in enterprise monitoring solutions, where administrative functions should be separated from regular user access and where scripts should not be executable by accounts with limited privileges. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as file integrity monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized changes to critical application files and directories, which can help identify exploitation attempts of this class of vulnerability and provide early warning of potential security incidents.