CVE-2022-23235 in Active IQ Unified Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 08/25/2022
Active IQ Unified Manager for VMware vSphere, Linux, and Microsoft Windows versions prior to 9.10P1 are susceptible to a vulnerability which could allow an attacker to discover cluster, node and Active IQ Unified Manager specific information via AutoSupport telemetry data that is sent even when AutoSupport has been disabled.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/02/2022
This vulnerability exists within Active IQ Unified Manager versions prior to 9.10P1 across VMware vSphere, Linux, and Microsoft Windows platforms, representing a significant information disclosure flaw that undermines the security posture of storage management systems. The issue stems from the improper handling of AutoSupport telemetry data, where sensitive cluster and node information persists in transmitted data even when the AutoSupport feature has been explicitly disabled by administrators. This behavior violates fundamental security principles by exposing internal system architecture details that should remain confidential, creating potential attack vectors for threat actors seeking to understand target environments before launching more sophisticated attacks.
The technical flaw manifests in the system's failure to completely sanitize or suppress sensitive metadata during AutoSupport communication processes, despite administrator configuration changes that should disable such telemetry transmission. This represents a violation of the principle of least privilege and data minimization, where systems should only transmit necessary information while suppressing potentially harmful details that could aid attackers in reconnaissance activities. The vulnerability specifically affects the AutoSupport mechanism's configuration handling, where disabling the feature does not properly prevent the inclusion of cluster topology, node identification, and Active IQ Unified Manager specific details in telemetry packets. This issue aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and CWE-312 (Sensitive Data Exposure) classifications, as it exposes system internals that could be leveraged for further exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with critical architectural insights that could facilitate targeted attacks against storage infrastructure. An attacker who discovers cluster configurations, node specifications, and Unified Manager implementation details gains significant advantages in planning subsequent exploitation attempts, potentially including targeted attacks against specific system components, version-specific vulnerabilities, or configuration weaknesses. The persistent exposure of this information even when AutoSupport is disabled creates a false sense of security for administrators who may believe their systems are properly secured against telemetry-based reconnaissance. This vulnerability can be exploited by attackers who intercept network traffic or gain access to systems that receive AutoSupport telemetry data, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network monitoring occurs or where telemetry data is forwarded to third-party systems.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Active IQ Unified Manager version 9.10P1 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as this represents the most effective mitigation strategy for addressing the root cause. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough network monitoring to identify any unauthorized AutoSupport data transmission and implement network segmentation to limit access to telemetry data sources. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper configuration validation and the need for security controls that prevent accidental exposure of sensitive system information. Organizations should also consider implementing network-based detection measures to identify unusual telemetry patterns and establish clear policies for managing system telemetry data transmission, particularly in environments where information security is paramount. This vulnerability underscores the critical need for comprehensive security testing that validates configuration changes and ensures that disabling security features truly results in the expected behavior without leaving residual exposure paths.