CVE-2018-15765 in Secure Remote Services
Summary
by MITRE
Dell EMC Secure Remote Services, versions prior to 3.32.00.08, contains an Information Exposure vulnerability. The log file contents store sensitive data including executed commands to generate authentication tokens which may prove useful to an attacker for crafting malicious authentication tokens for querying the application and subsequent attacks.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/30/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15765 affects Dell EMC Secure Remote Services software prior to version 3.32.00.08, representing a critical information exposure flaw that compromises the confidentiality of sensitive operational data. This vulnerability resides within the logging mechanisms of the secure remote services framework, where log files contain executable command sequences that are essential for authentication token generation. The flaw manifests when the system fails to properly sanitize or encrypt log file contents, allowing unauthorized access to potentially sensitive command execution details that could be leveraged by malicious actors to understand the authentication token generation process.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate data protection measures within the logging subsystem of Dell EMC Secure Remote Services. When authentication tokens are generated, the system logs the executed commands necessary for this process, including potentially sensitive parameters and operational sequences. This information exposure occurs because the logging mechanism does not adequately mask or encrypt sensitive data elements within the log files, creating a situation where an attacker with access to these logs could analyze the command patterns and potentially reproduce or manipulate the authentication token generation process. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which specifically addresses information exposure, and represents a classic case of insufficient logging security controls where sensitive operational data is inadvertently stored in plaintext within log files.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with crucial intelligence for crafting malicious authentication tokens that could enable unauthorized access to the application and its underlying systems. An attacker who gains access to these log files could potentially reverse engineer the token generation algorithm, understand the authentication flow, and develop sophisticated attacks that exploit the knowledge of command sequences and token creation patterns. This capability could lead to privilege escalation, unauthorized data access, and further compromise of the secure remote services infrastructure. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where the Secure Remote Services is used for remote system management, as it could enable attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and gain administrative access to managed systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-15765 should prioritize immediate software updates to version 3.32.00.08 or later, which includes proper log sanitization and encryption mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive log management practices including regular log file access reviews, implementation of log file encryption, and establishment of access controls to limit who can view sensitive log data. The remediation process should also include the removal of existing log files containing sensitive information and the implementation of automated log sanitization procedures that ensure sensitive command parameters are not stored in plaintext. Security teams should conduct regular audits of logging configurations and implement monitoring solutions that can detect unauthorized access attempts to log files, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1070.002 for indicator removal and T1070.004 for file deletion to prevent attackers from leveraging this information for further attacks.