CVE-2017-14375 in Unisphere for VMAX Virtual Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
EMC Unisphere for VMAX Virtual Appliance (vApp) versions prior to 8.4.0.15, EMC Solutions Enabler Virtual Appliance versions prior to 8.4.0.15, EMC VASA Virtual Appliance versions prior to 8.4.0.512, and EMC VMAX Embedded Management (eManagement) versions prior to and including 1.4 (Enginuity Release 5977.1125.1125 and earlier) contain an authentication bypass vulnerability that may potentially be exploited by malicious users to compromise the affected system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/21/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14375 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw affecting multiple EMC virtual appliance products including Unisphere for VMAX vApp, Solutions Enabler Virtual Appliance, VASA Virtual Appliance, and VMAX Embedded Management systems. This weakness stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to gain administrative access to these critical storage management platforms without proper credentials. The vulnerability impacts versions prior to specific release thresholds including 8.4.0.15 for Unisphere and Solutions Enabler, 8.4.0.512 for VASA, and all versions up to and including 1.4 for VMAX eManagement. The flaw enables malicious actors to compromise system integrity and potentially access sensitive storage data, management interfaces, and underlying infrastructure controls.
This authentication bypass vulnerability falls under the CWE-287 category of "Improper Authentication" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts for lateral movement and system compromise. The technical implementation flaw likely involves improper session management, weak credential validation, or flawed access control mechanisms within the virtual appliance frameworks. Attackers can exploit this weakness to bypass standard authentication procedures and gain full administrative privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as it allows for privilege escalation and persistent system control, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise storage environments where these appliances manage critical data infrastructure.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability are severe for organizations utilizing affected EMC products, as it provides attackers with unrestricted access to storage management systems that control critical enterprise data. Compromised systems may face data exfiltration, unauthorized storage configuration changes, system disruption, and potential lateral movement to other network segments. Organizations with multiple affected appliances across their storage infrastructure face increased risk of widespread compromise, particularly in environments where these virtual appliances serve as primary management interfaces for large-scale storage arrays. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple product lines indicates a fundamental flaw in the authentication implementation that requires immediate remediation across all affected systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-14375 should prioritize immediate deployment of vendor-provided patches and updates to versions 8.4.0.15 or later for Unisphere and Solutions Enabler, 8.4.0.512 or later for VASA, and version 1.4 or later for VMAX eManagement. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of these management interfaces to trusted networks only. Organizations should conduct comprehensive inventory audits to identify all affected systems and implement monitoring for suspicious authentication attempts. Security teams should also review and strengthen overall access control policies, implement multi-factor authentication where possible, and establish continuous vulnerability assessment procedures to detect similar weaknesses in other systems. The remediation process must include thorough testing of patches in non-production environments before deployment to ensure operational stability while addressing the critical authentication bypass vulnerability.