CVE-2015-0527 in Xcelerated Management System
Summary
by MITRE
EMC Documentum xCelerated Management System (xMS) 1.1 before P14 stores cleartext Windows Service credentials in a batch file during Documentum Platform and xCelerated Composition Platform (xCP) provisioning, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information by reading a file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0527 affects EMC Documentum xCelerated Management System (xMS) version 1.1 before P14, specifically during the provisioning process of Documentum Platform and xCelerated Composition Platform (xCP) environments. This issue represents a critical security flaw that exposes sensitive authentication credentials in an insecure manner, creating significant risks for organizations relying on these document management systems. The vulnerability stems from the improper handling of Windows Service credentials during system setup and configuration phases, where sensitive information is persisted in plaintext format within batch files that remain accessible to local users with minimal privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the xMS provisioning process writing Windows service account credentials directly into batch script files without any form of encryption or obfuscation. These batch files typically contain commands that configure and deploy various Documentum services, including database connections, authentication parameters, and service account details. When the provisioning scripts execute, they store the cleartext credentials in the batch files, which are then saved to the filesystem and remain accessible to any local user with read permissions. This design flaw directly violates fundamental security principles of credential handling and privilege separation, creating an attack surface that allows unauthorized local access to system authentication information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure, as it enables local users to gain unauthorized access to Documentum environments and potentially escalate their privileges within the system. Attackers who can read these batch files can extract service account credentials and use them to authenticate to various Documentum services, potentially gaining access to sensitive documents, database systems, and administrative functions. The vulnerability affects the entire provisioning lifecycle, making it particularly dangerous as it occurs during system deployment when administrators are configuring critical infrastructure components. This exposure can lead to data breaches, unauthorized system modifications, and potential lateral movement within network environments where Documentum systems are deployed.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including restricting file system access to provisioning batch files, implementing proper credential management practices, and ensuring that service account credentials are not stored in plaintext formats. The flaw aligns with CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and represents a direct violation of security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 standards. Security professionals should consider implementing file access controls, regular security audits of provisioning scripts, and mandatory credential rotation procedures. Additionally, the vulnerability demonstrates weaknesses in the ATT&CK framework's credential access and privilege escalation tactics, where attackers can leverage local file access to obtain system credentials and move laterally within environments. Organizations should also consider implementing automated scanning tools to identify and remediate similar credential storage issues across their Documentum installations and other enterprise systems.