CVE-2020-18170 in Key Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 07/27/2021
An issue in the SeChangeNotifyPrivilege component of Abloy Key Manager Version 7.14301.0.0 allows attackers to escalate privileges via a change in permissions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/05/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-18170 resides within the SeChangeNotifyPrivilege component of Abloy Key Manager version 7.14301.0.0, representing a critical security flaw that enables unauthorized privilege escalation. This issue stems from improper handling of permission changes within the system's privilege management framework, creating a pathway for attackers to elevate their access rights beyond normal operational boundaries. The vulnerability specifically affects the Windows-based security infrastructure that manages access control and privilege delegation within the key management system.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves a weakness in how the system validates and processes permission modifications, allowing malicious actors to manipulate the SeChangeNotifyPrivilege setting without proper authentication or authorization. This privilege is typically reserved for system-level operations that monitor and respond to changes in security settings, but the vulnerability permits unauthorized entities to alter these notifications and subsequently gain elevated system privileges. The flaw operates at the kernel level where privilege checks are insufficiently enforced, creating a persistent backdoor for attackers to maintain elevated access.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Abloy Key Manager for physical security management. Attackers exploiting this weakness can potentially gain administrative control over the key management system, compromising the integrity of access control policies and enabling unauthorized access to secured facilities. The privilege escalation capability allows threat actors to modify key distribution lists, alter access permissions for critical areas, and potentially disable security monitoring systems. This vulnerability directly impacts the CIA triad, particularly confidentiality and integrity, as it enables unauthorized modification of security-critical configurations.
The exploitability of CVE-2020-18170 aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers privilege escalation through local system exploitation, and maps to CWE-269, which addresses improper privilege management in security systems. Organizations using this software should consider the vulnerability as a high-risk exposure that could lead to complete system compromise, particularly in environments where physical security and logical access control are tightly integrated. The attack surface is particularly concerning for facilities managing sensitive data or critical infrastructure where unauthorized access could result in significant operational disruption or security breaches.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patch deployment from Abloy, implementation of network segmentation to limit access to the key management system, and enhanced monitoring of privilege change events. Security administrators should also conduct comprehensive access control reviews and implement principle of least privilege enforcement. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper privilege management and highlights the critical need for regular security assessments of embedded systems that handle physical access control. Organizations should also consider implementing additional layers of authentication and authorization controls to prevent exploitation of similar privilege escalation vulnerabilities in their security infrastructure.