CVE-2019-9943 in OMERO.server
Summary
by MITRE
In ome.services.graphs.GraphTraversal.findObjectDetails in Open Microscopy Environment OMERO.server 5.1.0 through 5.6.0, permissions on OMERO model objects may be circumvented during certain operations such as move and delete, because group permissions are mishandled.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/24/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-9943 represents a critical authorization bypass flaw within the Open Microscopy Environment OMERO.server platform, specifically affecting versions ranging from 5.1.0 through 5.6.0. This issue resides within the ome.services.graphs.GraphTraversal.findObjectDetails component, which serves as a fundamental data access mechanism for retrieving object details within the OMERO system. The flaw stems from improper handling of group permissions during specific operational contexts, creating a pathway for unauthorized access to protected resources that should be restricted based on user group memberships and assigned privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests when OMERO model objects undergo operations such as move and delete functions, where the system fails to properly validate group-level permissions before executing these actions. This misconfiguration allows authenticated users to potentially access or manipulate objects that they should not have authorization to modify, effectively bypassing the intended access control mechanisms. The root cause lies in the GraphTraversal component's failure to adequately enforce the permission model that governs group-based access controls, particularly when transitioning objects between different group contexts or performing administrative operations.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents significant security implications for organizations utilizing OMERO.server for managing sensitive scientific imaging data. Attackers could exploit this flaw to access confidential research data, manipulate experimental results, or perform unauthorized deletions of critical imaging datasets. The impact extends beyond simple data access violations as the bypass affects core data integrity functions, potentially compromising the entire research data management pipeline. Organizations relying on OMERO for storing proprietary research, patient imaging data, or sensitive scientific information face elevated risks of data exposure and potential regulatory violations.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for Valid Accounts and T1486 for Data Encrypted for Ransom. The flaw represents a privilege escalation vector that could enable attackers to gain broader access to the OMERO environment than initially permitted by their assigned user roles. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of OMERO.server, reviewing and strengthening group permission configurations, and implementing additional monitoring controls to detect unauthorized object access patterns. The remediation process requires careful consideration of existing data access workflows and may necessitate temporary restrictions on move and delete operations until comprehensive security updates are deployed.