CVE-2020-8982 in ShareFile StorageZones
Summary
by MITRE
In certain situations, all versions of Citrix ShareFile StorageZones (aka storage zones) Controller, including the most recent 5.10.x releases as of May 2020, allow unauthenticated attackers to access the documents and folders of ShareFile users. NOTE: unlike most CVEs, exploitability depends on the product version that was in use when a particular setup step was performed, NOT the product version that is in use during a current assessment of a CVE consumer's product inventory. Specifically, the vulnerability can be exploited if a storage zone was created by one of these product versions: 5.9.0, 5.8.0, 5.7.0, 5.6.0, 5.5.0, or earlier. This CVE differs from CVE-2020-7473 and CVE-2020-8983 but has essentially the same risk.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/15/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-8982 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw within Citrix ShareFile StorageZones Controller implementations. This weakness affects specific versions of the storage zones controller where the vulnerability can be exploited if a storage zone was initially configured using versions 5.9.0, 5.8.0, 5.7.0, 5.6.0, 5.5.0, or earlier releases. The temporal nature of this vulnerability's exploitability creates a complex security landscape where the risk assessment depends on historical deployment decisions rather than current system states. The vulnerability stems from improper access control mechanisms that were implemented during the initial setup phase of storage zones, creating persistent backdoors that remain active regardless of subsequent software updates or version upgrades.
This authentication bypass vulnerability operates through a flaw in the storage zone controller's access control validation process, allowing unauthenticated attackers to gain unauthorized access to ShareFile user documents and folders. The technical implementation of this vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication scenarios in software systems. The flaw manifests when the system fails to properly validate user credentials during access requests, particularly for resources that were originally configured using vulnerable versions of the controller software. Attackers can leverage this weakness to traverse the storage zone boundaries without proper authentication, effectively bypassing the intended security controls that should protect user data.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-8982 extends beyond simple data exposure, creating significant risks for organizations that have deployed ShareFile storage zones using affected versions. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that remains active even after the initial vulnerable configuration has been remediated through software upgrades, as the flaw exists in the configuration state rather than the software runtime environment. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which describes valid accounts usage for persistence and privilege escalation. Organizations may experience unauthorized data access, potential data exfiltration, and compromised user privacy, particularly affecting sensitive corporate information stored within these vulnerable storage zones.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-8982 require organizations to conduct comprehensive inventory assessments to identify storage zones that were initially configured using vulnerable controller versions. The primary remediation involves reconfiguring affected storage zones using updated controller versions while ensuring proper access controls are implemented during the reconfiguration process. Security teams must also implement network segmentation controls to limit access to storage zone controller components and establish monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized access attempts. Organizations should consider implementing additional authentication layers and access control policies to reduce the attack surface and prevent exploitation of this vulnerability. The remediation process requires careful coordination between IT operations and security teams to ensure that existing configurations are properly migrated without disrupting legitimate user access to ShareFile resources.