CVE-2015-4531 in Documentum Content Server
Summary
by MITRE
EMC Documentum Content Server before 6.7SP1 P32, 6.7SP2 before P25, 7.0 before P19, 7.1 before P16, and 7.2 before P02 does not properly check authorization for subgroups of privileged groups, which allows remote authenticated sysadmins to gain super-user privileges, and bypass intended restrictions on data access and server actions, via unspecified vectors. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2014-4622.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/12/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2015-4531 represents a critical authorization bypass flaw within EMC Documentum Content Server implementations across multiple version lines. This security weakness specifically targets the privilege management system where the software fails to properly validate authorization checks for subgroups belonging to privileged user groups. The vulnerability affects versions prior to specific service pack and patch levels including 6.7SP1 P32, 6.7SP2 P25, 7.0 P19, 7.1 P16, and 7.2 P02, indicating a widespread issue that impacts the core access control mechanisms of the Documentum platform. The flaw stems from an incomplete remediation of a previously identified vulnerability CVE-2014-4622, creating a persistent security gap that attackers can exploit to escalate their privileges.
The technical nature of this vulnerability lies in the improper authorization validation process that occurs when users belong to subgroup memberships within privileged groups. When an authenticated system administrator attempts to perform actions that should be restricted to super-user privileges, the system fails to adequately verify whether the user's subgroup memberships grant them elevated access rights. This authorization bypass allows malicious actors to circumvent intended access controls and perform operations that should be restricted to system administrators or super-users only. The unspecified vectors suggest that the exploitation can occur through various attack paths within the Documentum environment, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it may be exploitable through multiple entry points.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations utilizing EMC Documentum Content Server. Remote authenticated system administrators can gain super-user privileges without proper authorization checks, potentially allowing them to access restricted data, modify critical system configurations, and perform administrative actions that could compromise the entire content management environment. This privilege escalation capability enables attackers to bypass intended restrictions on data access and server actions, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, and unauthorized modifications to content repositories. The vulnerability essentially undermines the fundamental security model of the Documentum platform by allowing unauthorized access to privileged functions through legitimate administrative accounts.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the relevant patches and service packs that address this vulnerability, specifically targeting the affected version ranges mentioned in the CVE description. The remediation process should involve thorough testing of the updated software to ensure that existing Documentum functionality remains intact while addressing the authorization bypass issue. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive access control reviews to identify any potential exploitation that may have occurred prior to patching. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and monitoring solutions can help detect unauthorized access attempts and provide early warning of potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which describes improper access control issues, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and privilege escalation, emphasizing the importance of proper access control mechanisms and account management practices within enterprise content management systems.