CVE-2019-11280 in Application Service
Summary
by MITRE
Pivotal Apps Manager, included in Pivotal Application Service versions 2.3.x prior to 2.3.18, 2.4.x prior to 2.4.14, 2.5.x prior to 2.5.10, and 2.6.x prior to 2.6.5, contains an invitations microservice which allows users to invite others to their organizations. A remote authenticated user can gain additional privileges by inviting themselves to spaces that they should not have access to.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-11280 affects Pivotal Application Service versions prior to specific patch releases, specifically targeting the invitations microservice within Pivotal Apps Manager. This flaw exists in versions 2.3.x before 2.3.18, 2.4.x before 2.4.14, 2.5.x before 2.5.10, and 2.6.x before 2.6.5, representing a critical access control weakness that undermines the security model of the platform. The vulnerability stems from insufficient authorization checks within the invitation mechanism, allowing malicious actors to exploit the system's privilege escalation capabilities through crafted invitation requests.
The technical flaw manifests in the invitations microservice where authenticated users can manipulate the invitation process to gain unauthorized access to spaces they should not be permitted to join. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a classic privilege escalation vulnerability. The flaw allows an authenticated attacker to invite themselves to restricted spaces by leveraging the invitation system's inadequate validation mechanisms, effectively bypassing the normal access control enforcement that should prevent such actions. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control issues where actors can perform actions they should not be authorized to execute, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and legitimate credentials for unauthorized access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables authenticated users to escalate their privileges within the Pivotal Application Service environment, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive applications, data, and system resources. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to gain access to spaces containing confidential applications, user data, or system configurations that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. The implications extend beyond simple privilege escalation to include potential data breaches, unauthorized application modifications, and compromised system integrity. This vulnerability could be particularly damaging in multi-tenant environments where isolation between different organizations or teams is critical for security.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to the patched versions of Pivotal Application Service as specified in the advisory, which addresses the access control flaw in the invitations microservice. The patch resolves the insufficient authorization checks by implementing proper validation of user permissions before processing invitation requests. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation to limit access to the invitations microservice, monitoring for unusual invitation patterns, and conducting regular security audits of user access controls. Security teams should also consider implementing additional logging and alerting mechanisms around invitation activities to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of comprehensive access control validation and the need for regular security assessments of all service components within cloud platforms to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation scenarios.