CVE-2022-2332 in SoftMaster
Summary
by MITRE • 09/17/2022
A local unprivileged attacker may escalate to administrator privileges in Honeywell SoftMaster version 4.51, due to insecure permission assignment.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/18/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-2332 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Honeywell SoftMaster version 4.51 software. This issue stems from inadequate permission handling mechanisms that allow unprivileged local users to gain administrative access to the system. The vulnerability exists in the software's permission assignment logic where insufficient access controls are implemented to verify user privileges before granting elevated system access. The flaw specifically manifests when the application fails to properly validate user credentials or roles during critical system operations, creating an exploitable path for local attackers to bypass standard authentication mechanisms. This represents a significant security weakness that undermines the fundamental principle of least privilege and could potentially compromise entire system infrastructures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper access control enforcement within the Honeywell SoftMaster application. When users interact with certain system functions, the software does not adequately verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary administrative privileges. This flaw typically occurs in the application's authorization framework where permission checks are either missing, incorrectly implemented, or bypassed through predictable patterns. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 which specifically addresses improper access control issues in software systems. Attackers can exploit this by leveraging the application's existing processes to manipulate permission states or by directly invoking system functions that should only be accessible to administrators. The vulnerability may also be related to CWE-732 which covers inadequate permissions for critical resources, further emphasizing the weak access control implementation.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-2332 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially enable full system compromise and unauthorized data access. Once an attacker achieves administrative privileges through this vulnerability, they can modify system configurations, install malicious software, access sensitive data, and potentially establish persistence mechanisms within the affected environment. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability only requires local access, meaning that an attacker with basic user-level privileges can exploit this weakness without requiring external network access or complex attack vectors. This local privilege escalation capability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers local privilege escalation methods, and specifically relates to the use of insecure permissions as a vector for privilege elevation. Organizations running Honeywell SoftMaster version 4.51 face significant risk of unauthorized system access, data breaches, and potential lateral movement within their networks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-2332 should prioritize immediate software updates from Honeywell to address the identified permission handling flaws. Organizations must implement comprehensive access control reviews to ensure that all system functions properly validate user privileges before executing administrative operations. The remediation process should include verifying that the updated software properly enforces role-based access controls and that all permission checks are robustly implemented. System administrators should also conduct thorough audits of existing user accounts and permissions to identify any potential exploitation that may have already occurred. Additional protective measures include implementing network segmentation to limit local access to critical systems, monitoring for unusual privilege escalation events, and ensuring that all system components follow secure coding practices that prevent similar access control vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing the principle of least privilege across all system components to minimize the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security assessments and proper access control implementation as outlined in security frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 and ISO 27001 standards for information security management.