CVE-2018-3696 in RAID Web Console 3
Summary
by MITRE
Authentication bypass in the Intel RAID Web Console 3 for Windows before 4.186 may allow an unprivileged user to potentially gain administrative privileges via local access.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-3696 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw within the Intel RAID Web Console 3 for Windows software ecosystem. This issue affects versions prior to 4.186 and specifically targets the authentication mechanisms that govern access to administrative functions within the RAID management interface. The flaw enables an attacker with local system access to potentially escalate their privileges from standard user level to administrative status, undermining the fundamental security model of the console application.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user credentials and privilege levels within the authentication flow of the RAID management console. When a user attempts to access administrative functions, the system fails to properly verify that the requesting user possesses the necessary authorization levels. This weakness creates a pathway where local attackers can exploit the application's trust model to bypass normal authentication checks. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only local access to the system, meaning that an attacker who has already gained access to the machine through other means can leverage this flaw to obtain elevated privileges without requiring additional credentials or complex attack vectors.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to enterprise environments that rely on Intel RAID Web Console 3 for Windows for storage management. The authentication bypass allows attackers to gain administrative access to RAID configurations, potentially enabling them to modify storage arrays, access sensitive data, or disrupt storage operations. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation as administrators may be unaware of unauthorized access to their storage infrastructure, creating blind spots in security monitoring and incident response capabilities. Organizations using affected versions of the software face potential data breaches, service disruptions, and compliance violations that could result in substantial financial and reputational damage.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1078.002 for valid accounts and T1547.001 for registry run keys. Organizations should immediately update to Intel RAID Web Console 3 version 4.186 or later to remediate this issue, as the vendor has addressed the authentication bypass through proper credential validation mechanisms. Additional mitigations include implementing least privilege access controls, monitoring for unusual administrative access patterns, and ensuring that only authorized personnel have local access to systems running the affected software. Network segmentation and regular security assessments can further reduce the risk exposure while the patch is being deployed across the enterprise environment.