CVE-2017-12711 in WebAccess
Summary
by MITRE
An Incorrect Privilege Assignment issue was discovered in Advantech WebAccess versions prior to V8.2_20170817. A built-in user account has been granted a sensitive privilege that may allow a user to elevate to administrative privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-12711 represents a critical privilege assignment flaw within Advantech WebAccess software versions prior to V8.2_20170817. This issue falls under the category of incorrect privilege assignment, which is classified as CWE-272 within the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. The vulnerability stems from improper access control implementation where a built-in user account has been inadvertently granted administrative privileges that should be restricted to only authorized administrators. This misconfiguration creates a significant security risk by allowing unauthorized users to potentially escalate their privileges and gain full administrative control over the affected system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the software's user management system where default accounts are configured with excessive permissions beyond their intended scope. When Advantech WebAccess is installed with older versions, certain built-in accounts are pre-configured with administrative rights that should be limited to specific roles or require explicit authorization. This flaw allows attackers to exploit the system by authenticating with these privileged accounts, bypassing normal authentication mechanisms and gaining direct access to system-level functions and configuration options that control the entire WebAccess environment. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the authentication and authorization level, making it difficult to detect through standard network monitoring approaches.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of industrial control systems that rely on Advantech WebAccess for monitoring and management. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can manipulate system configurations, modify user permissions, access sensitive operational data, and potentially disrupt industrial processes. This represents a significant risk in environments where operational technology (OT) systems are interconnected with information technology infrastructure, as the compromised WebAccess system could serve as a foothold for broader network infiltration. The vulnerability aligns with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting credential access and defense evasion methods that leverage built-in accounts.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-12711 require immediate implementation of software updates to version V8.2_20170817 or later, which addresses the incorrect privilege assignment by properly restricting built-in account permissions. Organizations should conduct comprehensive inventory assessments to identify all instances of affected WebAccess versions and implement privileged access management controls to monitor and restrict access to administrative accounts. Security teams should also review and enforce least privilege principles for all user accounts, ensuring that default accounts are disabled or have minimal required permissions. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect unauthorized access attempts to administrative interfaces, while regular security audits should verify that privilege assignments comply with organizational security policies. The remediation process must include thorough testing of updated systems to ensure that the privilege restrictions do not inadvertently break legitimate operational functions while maintaining the security improvements.