CVE-2022-25570 in Passwordstate
Summary
by MITRE • 03/21/2022
In Click Studios (SA) Pty Ltd Passwordstate 9435, users with access to a passwordlist can gain access to additional password lists without permissions. Specifically, an authenticated user who has write permissions to a password list in one folder (with the default permission model) can extend his permissions to all other password lists in the same folder.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-25570 represents a critical access control flaw within the Passwordstate password management system developed by Click Studios (SA) Pty Ltd. This issue manifests in the application's permission model where users with write access to a specific password list within a folder can exploit a logical inconsistency to gain unauthorized access to other password lists in the same folder. The vulnerability specifically affects version 9435 of the software and stems from improper authorization checks that fail to validate whether a user should have access to additional resources beyond their explicitly granted permissions.
The technical implementation of this flaw occurs due to insufficient boundary checking within the application's access control mechanism. When an authenticated user with write permissions attempts to interact with password lists, the system fails to properly enforce folder-level access controls. This creates a privilege escalation scenario where the user can manipulate the system to access password lists they should not normally have access to, effectively bypassing the intended security boundaries that separate different password collections within the same folder structure. The vulnerability operates at the application logic level, exploiting a design flaw rather than a network-level weakness.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on Passwordstate for credential management. An attacker who has already gained access to one password list within a folder can potentially access sensitive credentials belonging to other password lists in the same folder, leading to unauthorized access to multiple systems and applications. This creates a cascading security risk where a single compromised account can expose numerous additional password credentials, potentially leading to widespread system compromise. The vulnerability undermines the fundamental security principle of least privilege by allowing unauthorized access to resources beyond what is explicitly permitted.
This vulnerability maps to CWE-285 (Improper Authorization) and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1531 (Account Access Removal). Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the latest version of Passwordstate where this vulnerability has been addressed, reviewing and tightening folder-level access controls, and implementing additional monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. Network segmentation and principle of least privilege enforcement should be strengthened to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. Regular security audits and privilege reviews are essential to prevent exploitation of similar access control flaws in other applications and systems.