CVE-2016-5335 in vRealize Automation
Summary
by MITRE
VMware Identity Manager 2.x before 2.7 and vRealize Automation 7.0.x before 7.1 allow local users to obtain root access via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/02/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-5335 affects VMware Identity Manager versions 2.x prior to 2.7 and vRealize Automation versions 7.0.x prior to 7.1, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that enables local attackers to gain root-level access on affected systems. This vulnerability falls under the category of local privilege escalation as defined by CWE-269, where an attacker with local access can exploit weaknesses in the system's permission model to elevate their privileges from a standard user to root. The unspecified vectors suggest that the flaw could be triggered through multiple attack paths within the local system environment, making the vulnerability particularly concerning as it may be exploitable through various means including but not limited to misconfigured file permissions, insecure temporary file handling, or flawed privilege management mechanisms.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability likely involves a weakness in how the affected VMware products handle local user privileges or system access controls, potentially through insecure code practices that fail to properly validate user permissions or enforce proper access restrictions. Attackers with local access to these systems could leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code with root privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive data and resources. The impact extends beyond individual system compromise as these products are often deployed in enterprise environments where they serve as critical components of identity management and cloud automation infrastructure, making the potential attack surface significantly larger.
From an operational perspective, organizations running these vulnerable versions face substantial risk of unauthorized access and data breaches, particularly in environments where local system access might be compromised through social engineering, insider threats, or other attack vectors that could provide initial access to the target systems. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" and T1548.001 which covers "Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism" as attackers could potentially use this vulnerability to establish persistent access and move laterally within networks. The exploitation of such vulnerabilities often leads to further compromise of the broader infrastructure as attackers with root access can manipulate system configurations, install backdoors, and access sensitive enterprise data.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to the patched versions of VMware Identity Manager 2.7 and vRealize Automation 7.1 or later, as these releases contain the necessary security patches to address the privilege escalation flaw. System administrators should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any systems running vulnerable versions and implement additional access controls including principle of least privilege, regular security audits, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current security patches and the critical nature of addressing local privilege escalation vulnerabilities in enterprise environments where system integrity and data protection are paramount.