CVE-2022-29849 in OpenEdge
Summary
by MITRE • 05/02/2022
In Progress OpenEdge before 11.7.14 and 12.x before 12.2.9, certain SUID binaries within the OpenEdge application were susceptible to privilege escalation. If exploited, a local attacker could elevate their privileges and compromise the affected system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-29849 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw affecting Progress OpenEdge database and application platform versions prior to 11.7.14 and 12.2.9. This security weakness stems from the improper handling of setuid (SUID) binary permissions within the OpenEdge application environment, creating a pathway for local attackers to gain elevated system privileges. The affected systems operate under the assumption that certain binaries should execute with elevated privileges to perform administrative functions, yet the implementation contains a critical flaw that allows unauthorized users to exploit this mechanism for unauthorized access.
The technical flaw manifests in the design and execution of SUID binaries that are intended to run with the privileges of the file owner rather than the user executing them. In the context of Progress OpenEdge, these binaries are typically used for system-level operations such as database administration, configuration management, and other privileged tasks. The vulnerability arises when these SUID binaries fail to properly validate input parameters or when they are susceptible to manipulation through command-line arguments, environment variables, or file system interactions. According to CWE-276, this corresponds to improper privileges, specifically CWE-276: Incorrect Permission Assignment, where security-relevant files and programs are assigned inappropriate permissions that allow unauthorized users to access them.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally compromises the security model of the OpenEdge platform. A local attacker who gains access to a system running vulnerable versions of Progress OpenEdge can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The attacker's capabilities include accessing sensitive data, modifying system configurations, installing malicious software, and creating persistent backdoors. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, where adversaries exploit vulnerabilities in software to gain elevated privileges. The risk is particularly severe in enterprise environments where OpenEdge systems often handle critical business data and serve as foundational components for various applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-29849 require immediate remediation through the application of vendor patches and updates to versions 11.7.14 and 12.2.9 respectively. Organizations should implement comprehensive system hardening measures including regular security assessments, monitoring for unauthorized privilege escalation attempts, and maintaining up-to-date vulnerability management processes. Additional protective measures include implementing the principle of least privilege, restricting access to SUID binaries, conducting regular security audits of system permissions, and deploying intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious privilege escalation activities. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper privilege management in enterprise software environments and underscores the necessity of continuous security monitoring and timely patch deployment to prevent exploitation of such fundamental security flaws.