CVE-2016-10101 in Automize
Summary
by MITRE
Information Disclosure can occur in Hitek Software's Automize 10.x and 11.x passManager.jsd. Users have the Read attribute, which allows an attacker to recover the encrypted password to access the Password Manager.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/14/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10101 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within Hitek Software's Automize platform version 10.x and 11.x. This issue specifically affects the passManager.jsd component which handles password management functionality. The vulnerability stems from improper access controls that allow unauthorized users to exploit the Read attribute, thereby gaining access to encrypted password data that should remain protected. The flaw exists within the application's security model where legitimate users are granted access to password recovery mechanisms without adequate authentication verification. This creates an avenue for attackers to bypass normal security boundaries and extract sensitive authentication credentials that are stored in an encrypted format within the password manager component. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it directly impacts the confidentiality of stored credentials and represents a failure in the principle of least privilege.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through the passManager.jsd module's inadequate handling of access permissions. When users interact with the password manager functionality, the system fails to properly validate whether the requesting entity has legitimate authorization to access specific password recovery mechanisms. The Read attribute, which should be restricted to authorized personnel only, is improperly exposed to all users within the system. This flaw allows attackers to craft specific requests that exploit the underlying API calls to retrieve encrypted password data without proper authentication. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires minimal privileges to exploit, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by both internal and external threat actors who have basic access to the system. The encrypted nature of the passwords does not provide sufficient protection since the encryption keys or methods are accessible through the exposed interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft and represents a fundamental breach in the system's security architecture. Organizations using affected versions of Automize may experience unauthorized access to their password management systems, potentially leading to broader compromise of network resources and sensitive data. The vulnerability enables attackers to systematically extract stored credentials that could provide access to additional systems and services within the network. This information disclosure can facilitate lateral movement attacks where stolen credentials are used to access other systems, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where password managers typically store credentials for critical infrastructure components, database systems, and privileged accounts. This vulnerability undermines the trust model of the password management system and can lead to cascading security failures throughout the organization's IT infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-10101 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected software versions to address the access control vulnerability in passManager.jsd. Organizations must implement proper access control mechanisms that enforce authentication and authorization checks before allowing access to password recovery functions. Network segmentation and privilege separation should be implemented to limit exposure of the password manager component to unauthorized users. Regular security audits should be conducted to identify similar access control flaws in other application components. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control issues, and may be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1552 for unsecured credentials. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous access patterns to password management systems, and incident response procedures should be updated to address credential exposure scenarios. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing multi-factor authentication for password manager access and regularly review access logs for suspicious activities related to credential recovery functions.