CVE-2019-18945 in Solutions Business Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 02/26/2021
Micro Focus Solutions Business Manager Application Repository versions prior to 11.7.1 are vulnerable to privilege escalation vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/05/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-18945 affects Micro Focus Solutions Business Manager Application Repository versions before 11.7.1, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that allows unauthorized users to gain elevated system permissions. This vulnerability resides within the application repository management system that handles business application configurations and deployment processes, making it a significant target for attackers seeking to compromise enterprise application infrastructure. The flaw enables an attacker with limited access to escalate their privileges to administrative levels, potentially leading to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive business applications and data.
The technical implementation of this privilege escalation vulnerability stems from inadequate access control mechanisms within the Business Manager Application Repository. The flaw likely manifests through improper input validation, insufficient authentication checks, or flawed authorization logic that allows authenticated users to manipulate system permissions or exploit existing administrative functions. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management, which specifically addresses weaknesses in how systems manage user privileges and access controls. The vulnerability may also exhibit characteristics of CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials or CWE-276: Incorrect Default Permissions, depending on the exact implementation details of the privilege escalation mechanism.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-18945 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to manipulate application configurations, deploy malicious code, or access confidential business data within the repository. Organizations utilizing affected versions face significant risk of data breaches, application disruption, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent access, modify application dependencies, or compromise the integrity of business-critical applications managed through the repository. The vulnerability's presence in the application repository environment creates a particularly dangerous attack surface since it can be exploited to undermine the security posture of entire application deployment pipelines and business continuity systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-18945 should prioritize immediate deployment of Micro Focus Solutions Business Manager Application Repository version 11.7.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the privilege escalation vulnerability. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as network segmentation, enhanced monitoring of administrative activities, and regular access permission reviews to minimize potential exploitation windows. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques such as T1078: Valid Accounts and T1548.001: Abuse of Functionality, as attackers would need to leverage legitimate accounts to exploit the privilege escalation mechanism. Security teams should also consider implementing principle of least privilege policies, regular security assessments of application repositories, and comprehensive incident response procedures to address potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date enterprise application management systems and highlights the critical need for regular vulnerability assessments of business-critical infrastructure components.