CVE-2018-1250 in Unity
Summary
by MITRE
Dell EMC Unity and UnityVSA versions prior to 4.3.1.1525703027 contains an Authorization Bypass vulnerability. A remote authenticated user could potentially exploit this vulnerability to read files in NAS server by directly interacting with certain APIs of Unity OE, bypassing Role-Based Authorization control implemented only in Unisphere GUI.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2023
This vulnerability resides in Dell EMC Unity and UnityVSA storage systems running versions prior to 4.3.1.1525703027, representing a critical authorization bypass flaw that undermines the security model of these enterprise storage solutions. The issue stems from a design weakness in the Unity Operating Environment where role-based access controls that are properly enforced within the Unisphere graphical user interface are not consistently applied to the underlying APIs that handle NAS server file operations. This discrepancy creates a significant security gap that allows authenticated remote attackers to circumvent the intended access controls through direct API interactions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the failure of the Unity OE to validate authorization permissions at the API level for specific NAS server functions. When legitimate users access the system through the Unisphere GUI, the system correctly enforces role-based restrictions that determine what actions users can perform based on their assigned permissions. However, the API endpoints that manage NAS server file operations lack this authorization validation, enabling attackers who have authenticated to the system to directly call these endpoints and access files they would normally be restricted from reading. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks at the application programming interface layer, which falls under CWE-284 - Improper Access Control.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial for organizations relying on Dell EMC Unity storage systems, as it allows attackers to potentially access sensitive data that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. An attacker who has gained legitimate authentication credentials to the storage system can exploit this flaw to read files stored on the NAS server without proper authorization, potentially accessing confidential information, business data, or personally identifiable information. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of data stored within the storage environment, as it provides unauthorized access paths that bypass the established security boundaries. This issue particularly impacts organizations that rely on storage-level access controls for data protection and compliance requirements.
Organizations should immediately upgrade their Dell EMC Unity and UnityVSA systems to version 4.3.1.1525703027 or later to remediate this vulnerability. System administrators should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect unauthorized API access attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 - Valid Accounts, as it exploits legitimate authenticated user credentials to gain unauthorized access to restricted resources. Additionally, this issue demonstrates the importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies that ensure authorization controls are consistently enforced across all application interfaces, not just user-facing components. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their storage environments to identify similar authorization bypass vulnerabilities in other systems and ensure proper API security controls are in place to prevent such issues from occurring in the future.