CVE-2020-5369 in Isilon OneFS
Summary
by MITRE
Dell EMC Isilon OneFS versions 8.2.2 and earlier and Dell EMC PowerScale OneFS version 9.0.0 contain a privilege escalation vulnerability. An authenticated malicious user may exploit this vulnerability by using SyncIQ to gain unauthorized access to system management files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2020
This vulnerability resides in Dell EMC Isilon OneFS and PowerScale OneFS storage systems where an authenticated attacker with minimal privileges can escalate their access rights through a flaw in the SyncIQ synchronization feature. The issue affects versions 8.2.2 and earlier of OneFS as well as version 9.0.0 of PowerScale OneFS, representing a significant security weakness that undermines the integrity of the storage platform's access control mechanisms. The vulnerability manifests when a malicious user leverages SyncIQ functionality to access system management files that should normally be restricted to privileged administrators only, effectively bypassing the normal authorization checks that protect critical system components.
The technical root cause of this privilege escalation vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control enforcement within the SyncIQ implementation. When SyncIQ processes synchronization requests, it fails to properly validate the permissions of the requesting user against the target system management files, allowing an authenticated user to manipulate the synchronization process to access restricted resources. This flaw operates at the intersection of inadequate privilege checking and improper resource access controls, creating a path for unauthorized elevation of privileges. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses incorrect permissions for critical resources, and represents a classic example of insufficient access control validation in enterprise storage systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it enables attackers to potentially compromise the entire storage infrastructure. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can access critical system files, modify storage configurations, and potentially gain access to sensitive data stored on the system. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where storage systems contain vast amounts of corporate data, user information, and business-critical files. This vulnerability can be leveraged as a stepping stone for broader attacks, allowing threat actors to establish persistent access to the storage infrastructure and potentially move laterally within the network. The attack vector through SyncIQ also means that the exploitation can occur during legitimate synchronization activities, making detection more challenging.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability by upgrading to affected Dell EMC systems to versions that contain the necessary security patches. The recommended mitigation includes applying the latest firmware updates from Dell EMC that address the privilege escalation flaw in SyncIQ functionality. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring should be implemented to detect suspicious SyncIQ activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also review access controls and implement principle of least privilege practices to minimize the potential impact of any successful exploitation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and can be used to establish persistence within storage environments, making it a critical target for defensive measures and incident response planning.