CVE-2018-18657 in Unified Data Protection
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Arcserve Unified Data Protection (UDP) through 6.5 Update 4. There is a DDI-VRT-2018-18 Unauthenticated Sensitive Information Disclosure via /gateway/services/EdgeServiceImpl issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18657 affects Arcserve Unified Data Protection (UDP) version 6.5 Update 4 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that allows unauthorized access to sensitive system information. This issue manifests through an unauthenticated sensitive information disclosure vulnerability within the EdgeServiceImpl component, specifically accessible through the /gateway/services/EdgeServiceImpl endpoint. The vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms and access controls that permit any remote attacker to retrieve confidential data without requiring valid credentials or authorization tokens.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the EdgeServiceImpl web service endpoint failing to properly validate incoming requests and authenticate users before exposing sensitive operational data. This flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited through standard network reconnaissance and data exfiltration techniques. The exposed information typically includes system configuration details, user credentials, backup job parameters, and potentially other operational metadata that could be leveraged for further exploitation or system compromise. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-200, which defines weaknesses related to information exposure, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1082 for system information discovery.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the leaked data could provide attackers with critical insights into the backup infrastructure and operational procedures. An attacker could use the disclosed information to plan more sophisticated attacks, including targeted exploitation of other system components, credential harvesting for lateral movement, or identification of additional vulnerabilities within the backup ecosystem. The unauthenticated nature of the vulnerability means that any network-connected attacker can exploit this flaw without requiring prior access or credentials, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where backup systems often contain highly sensitive data. Organizations may face compliance violations and regulatory penalties if backup system information is compromised, as these systems frequently contain personally identifiable information and other regulated data types.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of network segmentation to restrict access to the affected endpoint, deployment of web application firewalls to filter malicious requests, and enforcement of strong authentication mechanisms for all administrative interfaces. System administrators should also implement network monitoring to detect anomalous access patterns to the vulnerable endpoint and apply the latest security patches provided by Arcserve. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper access control implementation and the critical need for regular security assessments of enterprise backup and recovery systems, as these components often serve as prime targets for attackers seeking to gain access to sensitive organizational data. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regularly audit their backup system configurations to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced through misconfigurations or outdated software versions.