CVE-2020-10145 in ColdFusion
Summary
by MITRE • 05/28/2021
The Adobe ColdFusion installer fails to set a secure access-control list (ACL) on the default installation directory, such as C:\ColdFusion2021\. By default, unprivileged users can create files in this directory structure, which creates a privilege-escalation vulnerability.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/30/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-10145 resides within the Adobe ColdFusion installation process, specifically concerning the default directory permissions that are established during the software deployment. This issue represents a fundamental failure in the principle of least privilege, where the installer does not properly configure access control lists to restrict file system permissions on the installation directory structure. The default installation path C:\ColdFusion2021\ is created with overly permissive permissions that allow any unprivileged user account on the system to create files and potentially execute malicious code within this directory structure. This configuration flaw directly violates security best practices and creates an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by attackers to escalate their privileges on the affected system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the installer's failure to implement proper discretionary access control mechanisms on the installation directory. When the ColdFusion installer runs, it creates the installation directory with default Windows permissions that permit write access to the directory for all users, including those without administrative privileges. This misconfiguration allows any local user to place malicious files in the directory, potentially including DLL files or other executable components that could be loaded by the ColdFusion service. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-276, which specifically addresses improper file permissions, and represents a classic case of inadequate access control implementation that enables unauthorized modification of system components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it provides a straightforward path for privilege escalation attacks. An attacker with only standard user privileges can exploit this weakness to gain elevated access to the system, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects systems where ColdFusion is installed with default settings, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple users may have access to the same systems. This weakness can be exploited to install backdoors, modify ColdFusion configuration files, or inject malicious code that persists across system reboots. The attack surface is further expanded because the affected directory structure is typically used by the ColdFusion service for temporary files, logs, and other runtime components, providing multiple vectors for exploitation.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation', and specifically addresses the use of insecure file permissions as a means to achieve elevated privileges. The vulnerability also relates to T1059, 'Command and Scripting Interpreter', as attackers can leverage the writable directory to place malicious scripts or executables that can be executed by the ColdFusion service. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations by manually setting proper access control lists on the ColdFusion installation directory, ensuring that only authorized users and system processes have write permissions. The recommended remediation includes configuring the directory permissions to allow write access only to the ColdFusion service account and administrators, while removing write permissions from standard user accounts. Additionally, security monitoring should be implemented to detect unauthorized modifications to the ColdFusion installation directory structure, as this vulnerability can be exploited without requiring network access or external attack vectors.