CVE-2018-18658 in Updates
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Arcserve Unified Data Protection (UDP) through 6.5 Update 4. There is a DDI-VRT-2018-20 Unauthenticated Sensitive Information Disclosure via /UDPUpdates/Config/FullUpdateSettings.xml issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18658 affects Arcserve Unified Data Protection version 6.5 Update 4 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw in the software's configuration handling mechanisms. This issue manifests as an unauthenticated sensitive information disclosure vulnerability that allows attackers to access critical system configuration data through a specific endpoint within the application's web interface. The vulnerability resides in the /UDPUpdates/Config/FullUpdateSettings.xml path, which exposes sensitive operational parameters without requiring any authentication credentials or access controls.
The technical implementation of this flaw stems from inadequate input validation and access control mechanisms within the Arcserve UDP application framework. When a remote attacker accesses the vulnerable endpoint, the system fails to properly authenticate or authorize the request, allowing immediate retrieval of the FullUpdateSettings.xml configuration file. This file contains sensitive information including system identifiers, update server configurations, network parameters, and potentially credential information that should remain protected within the organization's internal infrastructure. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200, which specifically addresses "Information Exposure" and represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege in information security.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as the exposed configuration data could enable attackers to craft more sophisticated attacks against the targeted environment. The sensitive information obtained through this vulnerability could facilitate network reconnaissance, provide insights into the organization's backup infrastructure, and potentially reveal internal network topology details that attackers could leverage for further exploitation. Attackers could use this information to identify target systems, understand update mechanisms, and plan coordinated attacks against the backup infrastructure. This vulnerability also represents a significant risk to organizations that rely on Arcserve UDP for critical data protection operations, as the exposure of update configurations could compromise the integrity and availability of their backup systems.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including network segmentation to restrict access to the affected endpoints, deployment of web application firewalls to monitor and filter requests to the vulnerable path, and implementation of proper authentication controls for all system configuration interfaces. The remediation strategy should involve updating to the latest available version of Arcserve UDP that addresses this specific vulnerability, as well as conducting comprehensive security assessments of all related systems. Security teams should also monitor for exploitation attempts through network intrusion detection systems and implement proper access controls to prevent unauthorized access to configuration endpoints. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083, which covers "File and Directory Discovery," and represents a clear example of how insufficient access controls can lead to unauthorized information disclosure within enterprise backup and recovery systems.