CVE-2021-25652 in Aura Appliance Virtualization Platform Utilities
Summary
by MITRE • 06/24/2021
An information disclosure vulnerability was discovered in the directory and file management of Avaya Aura Appliance Virtualization Platform Utilities (AVPU). This vulnerability may potentially allow any local user to access system functionality and configuration information that should only be available to a privileged user. Affects versions 8.0.0.0 through 8.1.3.1 of AVPU.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2021
The CVE-2021-25652 vulnerability represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the Avaya Aura Appliance Virtualization Platform Utilities software ecosystem. This vulnerability specifically targets the directory and file management components of the platform, creating an unauthorized access vector that undermines the fundamental security principles of privilege separation and access control. The affected versions span from 8.0.0.0 through 8.1.3.1, indicating a substantial attack surface across multiple iterations of the software. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-200, which addresses information exposure, and reflects a failure in implementing proper access controls within the virtualization platform's file system management utilities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user privileges when accessing directory and file management functions. Local users can exploit this weakness to bypass intended access restrictions and gain visibility into system functionality and configuration information typically restricted to privileged administrative users. This flaw essentially creates a backdoor mechanism where unprivileged users can traverse the system's file hierarchy and potentially extract sensitive data, system parameters, or operational configurations that should remain confidential. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple information gathering as it provides attackers with insights into the underlying system architecture, which can facilitate more sophisticated attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Avaya Aura Appliance Virtualization Platform Utilities for their communication infrastructure. The information disclosure could enable attackers to map the system's internal structure, identify potential attack vectors, and gather intelligence about system configurations that might reveal weaknesses in network segmentation or security policies. The local access requirement means that attackers would need to first establish a foothold on the system, but once achieved, they could leverage this vulnerability to escalate their reconnaissance efforts and potentially move laterally within the network. This vulnerability directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1083, which covers directory and file discovery, and T1213, covering data from information repositories.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches and updates for the affected AVPU versions, conducting comprehensive security assessments of the virtualization platform, and implementing additional access controls to limit local user privileges where possible. Network segmentation strategies should be enhanced to prevent lateral movement if local compromise occurs, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual file access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of principle of least privilege implementation and highlights the critical need for regular security assessments of virtualization platforms. Given the potential for escalation and the sensitive nature of the information exposed, organizations should also consider implementing additional logging and audit controls around file system access operations to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts.