CVE-2016-0910 in Data Domain OS
Summary
by MITRE
EMC Data Domain OS 5.5 before 5.5.4.0, 5.6 before 5.6.1.004, and 5.7 before 5.7.2.0 stores session identifiers of GUI users in a world-readable file, which allows local users to hijack arbitrary accounts via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/23/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-0910 affects EMC Data Domain Operating System versions prior to specific patch levels, creating a critical security risk through improper session management. This flaw resides in the GUI authentication mechanism where session identifiers are stored in files with world-readable permissions, fundamentally compromising the security model of the system. The vulnerability represents a classic case of insufficient access control and improper privilege management, where sensitive authentication tokens are exposed to all local users without proper authorization checks. The affected versions include Data Domain OS 5.5 before 5.5.4.0, 5.6 before 5.6.1.004, and 5.7 before 5.7.2.0, indicating this was a widespread issue across multiple release branches.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the storage of session identifiers in files that lack proper permission controls, allowing any local user to read these identifiers from the filesystem. This design flaw enables attackers to obtain valid session tokens that can be used to impersonate authenticated users and gain unauthorized access to the system. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that the hijacking could occur through various means such as direct file reading, process memory inspection, or exploitation of other local vulnerabilities that might expose the session file. The session identifiers stored in these world-readable files typically contain sufficient information to bypass authentication mechanisms and maintain persistent access to the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows local users to escalate privileges and assume the identity of any authenticated GUI user, potentially leading to complete system compromise. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and creates a backdoor for privilege escalation attacks within the local environment. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to access sensitive data, modify system configurations, install malicious software, or conduct further attacks using the elevated privileges of compromised accounts. The vulnerability also creates audit and compliance challenges since unauthorized access to user sessions can go undetected, undermining the integrity of the system's security controls and making it difficult to track malicious activities.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-732: "Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.002: "Valid Accounts: Local Accounts" as it enables unauthorized access through legitimate user accounts. The remediation approach requires immediate patching of affected systems to version 5.5.4.0, 5.6.1.004, or 5.7.2.0 respectively, along with manual verification that session files are properly secured with restricted permissions. Additional mitigations include implementing proper file permission controls, conducting regular security audits of system files, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. System administrators should also review and enforce proper access control policies to prevent similar issues in other components of the system, ensuring that sensitive authentication data is never stored in accessible locations. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper privilege separation and secure configuration management in enterprise storage systems.