CVE-2017-5738 in Unite App
Summary
by MITRE
Escalation of privilege vulnerability in admin portal for Intel Unite App versions 3.1.32.12, 3.1.41.18 and 3.1.45.26 allows an attacker with network access to cause a denial of service and/or information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/07/2019
The CVE-2017-5738 vulnerability represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the Intel Unite App admin portal, affecting specific version releases including 3.1.32.12, 3.1.41.18, and 3.1.45.26. This vulnerability exposes a fundamental security weakness in the administrative interface of the Intel Unite application, which is designed to facilitate remote desktop and collaboration capabilities in enterprise environments. The flaw specifically targets the authentication and authorization mechanisms within the admin portal, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's security controls.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and insufficient access control measures within the administrative interface. Attackers with network access can leverage this weakness to execute unauthorized operations that should typically be restricted to privileged users. The vulnerability enables an attacker to manipulate the application's internal processes and potentially gain elevated privileges beyond their initial access level. This type of flaw falls under the CWE-284 category, which encompasses improper access control issues, and specifically relates to the broader class of privilege escalation vulnerabilities that allow attackers to perform actions beyond their authorized permissions.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-5738 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it creates opportunities for both denial of service conditions and information disclosure. An attacker could potentially disrupt critical administrative functions, rendering the system unavailable to legitimate users while simultaneously gaining access to sensitive data that should remain protected. The vulnerability's network-based attack surface means that remote exploitation is possible without requiring physical access to the target system, significantly expanding the potential attack vectors. This weakness directly impacts enterprise security posture by potentially allowing unauthorized individuals to compromise the integrity and availability of collaboration platforms that many organizations depend upon for business continuity.
Organizations utilizing affected Intel Unite App versions should immediately implement mitigation strategies including applying the latest security patches provided by Intel, implementing network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces, and conducting thorough security assessments of their collaboration infrastructure. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation,' highlights the need for comprehensive monitoring and detection capabilities. Additional defensive measures should include implementing strict firewall rules to restrict access to administrative ports, enabling multi-factor authentication for admin accounts, and establishing robust network monitoring to detect anomalous access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments remain essential to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in other enterprise applications and systems.