CVE-2018-3679 in Data Center Manager SDK
Summary
by MITRE
Escalation of privilege in Reference UI in Intel Data Center Manager SDK 5.0 and before may allow an unauthorized remote unauthenticated user to potentially execute code via administrator privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3679 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Intel Data Center Manager SDK version 5.0 and earlier releases. This security weakness specifically affects the Reference UI component of the software suite, which serves as a foundational interface for managing data center operations. The vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls and authentication mechanisms that fail to properly validate user permissions before granting administrative privileges. Attackers can exploit this flaw to elevate their privileges without requiring valid credentials or authentication, creating a significant security risk for enterprise environments that rely on Intel's data center management solutions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a flaw in how the Reference UI component handles privilege validation during user sessions. When an unauthorized remote attacker establishes connection to the system, the vulnerable code path fails to properly verify whether the connecting user possesses sufficient privileges to execute administrative commands. This weakness creates a scenario where any remote unauthenticated user can potentially gain access to administrative functions and execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The flaw essentially bypasses the normal authentication and authorization processes that should prevent unauthorized access to critical system functions.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-3679 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of data center environments. Organizations utilizing affected Intel Data Center Manager SDK versions face potential unauthorized access to critical infrastructure management functions, including system configuration changes, user account modifications, and data manipulation capabilities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control issues, and represents a significant concern for cybersecurity frameworks that emphasize the principle of least privilege. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication credentials, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can reach the target system.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to several ATT&CK techniques including T1068 for local privilege escalation and T1566 for initial access through unauthenticated network connections. The exploitability of this flaw means that attackers can potentially establish persistent access to data center management systems, creating opportunities for lateral movement within networks and extended compromise of enterprise infrastructure. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring for unusual administrative access patterns as part of their defensive strategies. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in enterprise management software, particularly when dealing with privileged operations that can affect entire data center environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-3679 should prioritize immediate software updates to versions that address the privilege escalation flaw. Organizations must also implement network access controls to restrict access to affected systems, particularly in environments where the Reference UI component is exposed to untrusted networks. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized administrative access attempts and privilege escalation activities. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other components within their data center management infrastructure that might be similarly affected. The remediation process should include thorough testing of updated software versions to ensure that the fix properly addresses the underlying access control vulnerability without introducing new operational issues.