CVE-2018-10604 in Compass
Summary
by MITRE
SEL Compass version 3.0.5.1 and prior allows all users full access to the SEL Compass directory, which may allow modification or overwriting of files within the Compass installation folder, resulting in escalation of privilege and/or malicious code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10604 affects SEL Compass version 3.0.5.1 and earlier installations, presenting a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of the application's access controls. This issue stems from insufficient authorization mechanisms within the software's directory structure, allowing any authenticated user to gain unrestricted access to the entire SEL Compass directory tree. The vulnerability represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege, where users should only have access to resources necessary for their specific functions rather than complete administrative access to the application's file system.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves improper access control enforcement within the SEL Compass application framework. When users authenticate to the system, they are granted broader permissions than necessary for their operational roles, specifically including full read, write, and execute permissions across the Compass installation directory. This misconfiguration allows attackers to traverse the file system hierarchy and manipulate critical application components, configuration files, and potentially system binaries. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including direct file system access, web-based interfaces, or command-line utilities that interact with the application's underlying file structure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, creating significant risks for system integrity and security posture. An attacker with access to any user account within the SEL Compass environment can escalate privileges to administrative levels by modifying core application files, injecting malicious code, or replacing legitimate binaries with compromised versions. This privilege escalation capability can result in complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or the establishment of persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability particularly affects industrial control systems and energy management platforms where SEL Compass is commonly deployed, potentially enabling attackers to disrupt critical operations or gain unauthorized control over power grid components.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control issues in software systems. The flaw demonstrates poor security design principles where access controls are not properly enforced at the directory level, allowing unauthorized modification of application components. Additionally, this vulnerability maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation through modification of system binaries and execution through legitimate system processes. Organizations deploying SEL Compass systems should implement immediate mitigations including application hardening measures, network segmentation, and regular security assessments to prevent exploitation of this access control weakness. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper access control implementation and the need for regular security updates to address known weaknesses in industrial control system applications.