CVE-2014-2690 in VDI-in-a-Box
Summary
by MITRE
Citrix VDI-in-a-Box 5.3.x before 5.3.6 and 5.4.x before 5.4.3 allows local users to obtain administrator credentials by reading the log.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/10/2026
Citrix VDI-in-a-Box represents a virtual desktop infrastructure solution that enables organizations to deploy and manage virtual desktops within their network environments. The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2690 affects specific versions of this platform, particularly the 5.3.x series before 5.3.6 and the 5.4.x series before 5.4.3. This security flaw manifests as an information disclosure vulnerability that could potentially compromise the integrity of the entire virtual desktop environment. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of sensitive data within the system's logging mechanisms, creating an avenue for unauthorized access to critical administrative credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the logging subsystem failing to adequately sanitize or protect sensitive information during the logging process. When administrative operations occur within the Citrix VDI-in-a-Box environment, certain credential information becomes written to log files that are accessible to local users. This represents a classic case of inadequate access control and data protection within application logging components. The flaw essentially creates a situation where local users can directly read system log files and extract administrative authentication details, bypassing normal authentication mechanisms that should prevent such unauthorized access.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations utilizing Citrix VDI-in-a-Box solutions. The ability for local users to obtain administrator credentials fundamentally undermines the security model of the virtual desktop environment, potentially enabling privilege escalation attacks and full system compromise. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data, modify system configurations, and establish persistent access within the network. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires minimal privileges to exploit, as local user access is sufficient to read the log files containing the administrative credentials.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure," and represents a specific instance of improper information protection within application logging systems. From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including credential access through "T1003.001 - OS Credential Dumping" and privilege escalation via "T1068 - Exploitation for Privilege Escalation." Organizations that deploy Citrix VDI-in-a-Box solutions should immediately implement mitigation strategies including applying the vendor-provided patches, restricting local user access to log files, and implementing additional monitoring of log file access patterns. The recommended remediation approach involves upgrading to the patched versions 5.3.6 and 5.4.3, while also establishing proper access controls to prevent unauthorized users from reading system log files that may contain sensitive information.
Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Citrix VDI-in-a-Box deployments to identify any instances of this vulnerability and ensure that all systems have been properly updated. Additionally, implementing proper log management practices including regular log file access monitoring and establishing alerting mechanisms for unauthorized log file access attempts will help detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper information protection in logging systems and demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation flaws can create significant security risks in enterprise virtual desktop environments.