CVE-2022-21763 in MT6739
Summary
by MITRE • 07/06/2022
In telecom service, there is a possible information disclosure due to a missing permission check. This could lead to local information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: ALPS07044717; Issue ID: ALPS07044708.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/19/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-21763 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within telecom service implementations that stems from insufficient permission validation mechanisms. This weakness exists in the underlying system architecture where proper access controls fail to verify user privileges before granting access to sensitive data. The issue manifests specifically within the telecom service framework where unauthorized data exposure occurs due to the absence of mandatory permission checks that should normally validate whether a requesting entity has appropriate authorization levels to access specific resources. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at a foundational level within the service architecture, affecting core data protection mechanisms that should inherently prevent unauthorized access to confidential information.
The technical implementation flaw resides in the service's permission validation logic where the system fails to properly enforce access control policies during data retrieval operations. This missing validation creates a direct pathway for information disclosure attacks where any local process or user can access data that should be restricted to authorized entities only. The vulnerability operates without requiring any additional execution privileges or user interaction, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through simple local access mechanisms. The flaw essentially removes the authorization gatekeeping function that should normally validate credentials and permissions before data exposure occurs, leaving sensitive telecom information accessible to any process running within the local environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure as it represents a fundamental breakdown in the security model of the telecom service infrastructure. Local information disclosure can lead to comprehensive exposure of user data, service configurations, network parameters, and potentially sensitive communication metadata that could be leveraged for further attacks. The lack of user interaction requirement means that exploitation can occur automatically without any manual intervention, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple processes or services operate with elevated privileges. This vulnerability directly undermines the principle of least privilege and can potentially enable attackers to gather intelligence for more sophisticated attacks or to establish persistent access within the telecom infrastructure.
The remediation for CVE-2022-21763 requires implementation of proper permission validation mechanisms that enforce mandatory access controls before any data exposure occurs. The patch ALPS07044717 addresses this by restoring the missing authorization checks and ensuring that all service operations validate user credentials and permissions before proceeding with data access operations. Organizations should implement comprehensive access control validation at multiple levels within the telecom service architecture, ensuring that each data access request undergoes proper authorization verification. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control issues, and represents a clear violation of the principle that systems should enforce proper authorization before granting access to protected resources. The remediation process should include thorough testing of access control mechanisms to ensure that all potential pathways for unauthorized access have been properly secured, and that the system maintains proper isolation between different user contexts and privilege levels.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining proper access control validation in telecommunications infrastructure where sensitive data flows continuously through the network. The absence of permission checks in core service operations creates a fundamental security weakness that can be exploited to gather comprehensive information about system configurations, user data, and network operations. Organizations should conduct regular audits of their access control implementations to ensure that all services properly validate permissions before data exposure occurs, particularly in environments where multiple services interact and share sensitive information. The vulnerability also highlights the need for comprehensive security testing that includes access control validation as a core component of vulnerability assessment procedures.