CVE-2018-17216 in ThingWorx Platform
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in PTC ThingWorx Platform 6.5 through 8.2. There is password hash exposure to privileged users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/28/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-17216 represents a critical security flaw within the PTC ThingWorx Platform ecosystem affecting versions 6.5 through 8.2. This issue manifests as unauthorized password hash exposure to users with privileged access levels, creating a significant risk to the platform's authentication security model. The vulnerability exploits the platform's insufficient access controls and privilege management mechanisms, allowing authenticated users with elevated permissions to extract password hashes from the system. This weakness directly violates fundamental security principles regarding credential protection and access control enforcement, as it enables malicious actors with privileged accounts to obtain sensitive authentication data that could be used for lateral movement and privilege escalation within the network environment. The exposure occurs through improper authorization checks that fail to adequately restrict access to password hash information, creating a pathway for unauthorized data extraction.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate privilege validation within the ThingWorx platform's authentication subsystem. When privileged users interact with the system's user management functions, the platform fails to properly enforce access restrictions on password hash retrieval operations. This flaw operates at the application level and can be categorized under CWE-284, which addresses improper access control vulnerabilities. The vulnerability allows attackers to bypass normal authentication boundaries and access password hash information that should remain restricted to system administrators or specific privileged roles. The system's authorization model appears to have insufficient granularity in controlling access to sensitive user data, particularly in scenarios where users with administrative privileges are granted excessive data access rights beyond their operational requirements.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability significantly weakens the security posture of organizations relying on PTC ThingWorx Platform for industrial internet of things applications and device management solutions. The exposure of password hashes creates opportunities for credential compromise attacks, where attackers can leverage the extracted hash information to perform offline password cracking or use the credentials for additional system access. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where ThingWorx serves as a central platform for managing connected devices and industrial control systems, as compromised credentials could lead to unauthorized access to critical infrastructure components. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft to potentially enable attackers to gain persistent access to industrial control systems, network devices, and other sensitive assets managed through the platform. Organizations may face regulatory compliance violations and increased risk of operational disruptions when such vulnerabilities exist in their industrial IoT infrastructure.
Security mitigations for CVE-2018-17216 should focus on immediate implementation of access control restrictions and privilege management enhancements within the ThingWorx platform. Organizations should implement strict role-based access controls that prevent privileged users from accessing password hash information unless absolutely necessary for system administration tasks. The platform configuration should be reviewed to ensure that password hash exposure is restricted to specific administrative functions and that audit logging is enabled for all access attempts to sensitive user data. System administrators should implement the principle of least privilege by limiting access to password hash information to only those users who require such access for legitimate administrative purposes. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing multi-factor authentication mechanisms and regular security assessments to identify similar access control weaknesses in their industrial IoT platforms. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to leverage legitimate privileged access to extract sensitive authentication data and maintain persistent access to target systems. The recommended remediation includes applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates, implementing network segmentation to limit access to the ThingWorx platform, and conducting comprehensive security reviews of all privileged accounts and access controls within the industrial IoT environment.