CVE-2022-31238 in PowerScale OneFS
Summary
by MITRE • 08/22/2022
Dell PowerScale OneFS, versions 9.0.0 up to and including 9.1.0.19, 9.2.1.12, 9.3.0.6, and 9.4.0.2, contain a process invoked with sensitive information vulnerability. A CLI user may potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-31238 affects Dell PowerScale OneFS storage systems across multiple version ranges including 9.0.0 through 9.1.0.19, 9.2.1.12, 9.3.0.6, and 9.4.0.2. This issue represents a critical information disclosure vulnerability that stems from how certain processes are invoked within the system's command line interface. The flaw specifically manifests when sensitive information is passed to processes that are executed through the CLI, creating an attack surface where unauthorized users could potentially extract confidential data from the system. This vulnerability directly impacts the integrity and confidentiality of the storage environment's operational parameters and credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves processes that are initiated through the command line interface without proper sanitization of sensitive parameters. When CLI users execute commands that trigger underlying system processes, the sensitive information passed to these processes becomes exposed through various system channels. This could include command line arguments, environment variables, or process memory dumps that may be accessible to other users or processes on the system. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-200, which addresses improper exposure of sensitive information, and represents a significant deviation from secure coding practices that should prevent sensitive data from being inadvertently exposed during process execution.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risks to organizations relying on Dell PowerScale storage solutions. The information disclosure could potentially expose authentication credentials, system configuration details, network parameters, or other sensitive operational data that could be leveraged by attackers to escalate privileges or gain deeper access to the storage infrastructure. The impact extends beyond immediate data exposure as attackers could use the leaked information to conduct more sophisticated attacks such as privilege escalation, lateral movement, or targeted exploitation of other system components. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where multiple users share CLI access or where proper access controls are not strictly enforced.
Security practitioners should prioritize immediate remediation efforts by applying the vendor-provided patches or updates that address this specific vulnerability. Organizations should conduct comprehensive assessments of their PowerScale environments to identify systems running affected versions and implement proper monitoring for any suspicious CLI usage patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The mitigation strategy should include reviewing and strengthening access controls for CLI interfaces, implementing proper process isolation, and establishing monitoring procedures to detect unusual information disclosure patterns. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following ATT&CK framework principles related to privilege escalation and credential access, as the information disclosure could enable attackers to progress through multiple stages of their attack lifecycle. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and privilege separation measures to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities and reduce the attack surface available to malicious actors.