CVE-2018-8922 in Drive
Summary
by MITRE
Improper access control vulnerability in Synology Drive before 1.0.2-10275 allows remote authenticated users to access non-shared files or folders via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/17/2024
The CVE-2018-8922 vulnerability represents a critical access control flaw in Synology Drive software versions prior to 1.0.2-10275. This vulnerability affects the authentication and authorization mechanisms within Synology's cloud storage solution, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on the platform for file sharing and collaboration. The issue stems from insufficient validation of user permissions and access rights, allowing authenticated users to bypass intended security boundaries and gain unauthorized access to files and folders they should not be able to view or modify. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the application layer, where legitimate users can exploit the flaw without requiring additional privileges or sophisticated attack techniques.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper validation of access control checks within the Synology Drive application. Attackers can leverage unspecified vectors to traverse the file system and access content that should remain restricted to specific users or groups. This typically occurs through manipulation of API calls or direct access attempts to file resources that bypass the normal permission checking mechanisms. The flaw likely resides in how the application handles user session management and file access requests, potentially allowing privilege escalation or directory traversal attacks that enable access to non-shared resources. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-285: Improper Authorization, which specifically addresses issues where systems fail to properly enforce access controls. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with improper access control implementations that can be exploited through various attack vectors including API manipulation, URL parameter tampering, or direct file system access attempts.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-8922 extends beyond simple data exposure, potentially enabling significant data breaches and unauthorized access to sensitive corporate or personal information. Organizations using affected Synology Drive versions face risks of intellectual property theft, regulatory compliance violations, and potential legal consequences due to unauthorized data access. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the file sharing platform, undermining the trust model that users expect when storing and accessing files through cloud-based services. Attackers can potentially access confidential documents, business plans, personal data, or other sensitive materials that should remain protected within the organization's controlled environment. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where Synology Drive serves as a primary collaboration platform, as the vulnerability can be exploited by both internal and external authenticated users who may have legitimate access to the system but lack proper authorization for specific resources.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action to upgrade to the patched version 1.0.2-10275 or later, which addresses the underlying access control implementation flaws. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Synology Drive deployments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and verify that all users have appropriate access rights. Network segmentation and monitoring should be implemented to detect unusual access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also review and audit existing access control policies and user permissions to ensure that least privilege principles are properly enforced. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078: Valid Accounts, as it exploits legitimate user credentials to gain unauthorized access to resources. Organizations should implement additional monitoring controls and access logging to detect unauthorized access attempts, while also considering the implementation of multi-factor authentication for critical systems. Regular security updates and patch management processes should be enforced to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in the future.