CVE-2022-33643 in Azure Site Recovery VMWare to Azure
Summary
by MITRE • 07/13/2022
Azure Site Recovery Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2022-30181, CVE-2022-33641, CVE-2022-33642, CVE-2022-33650, CVE-2022-33651, CVE-2022-33652, CVE-2022-33653, CVE-2022-33654, CVE-2022-33655, CVE-2022-33656, CVE-2022-33657, CVE-2022-33658, CVE-2022-33659, CVE-2022-33660, CVE-2022-33661, CVE-2022-33662, CVE-2022-33663, CVE-2022-33664, CVE-2022-33665, CVE-2022-33666, CVE-2022-33667, CVE-2022-33668, CVE-2022-33669, CVE-2022-33671, CVE-2022-33672, CVE-2022-33673, CVE-2022-33674, CVE-2022-33675, CVE-2022-33677.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2022
The Azure Site Recovery service presents a critical elevation of privilege vulnerability that allows authenticated attackers to escalate their access rights within the Azure environment. This vulnerability specifically affects the recovery services vaults and their associated replication mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to gain unauthorized administrative privileges. The flaw exists in the way the service handles authentication and authorization checks during certain administrative operations, particularly those involving virtual machine replication and failover processes. Security researchers identified that the vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user permissions when processing specific API calls related to site recovery operations, enabling attackers to manipulate the system into granting elevated privileges without proper authentication.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a flaw in the access control mechanisms that govern how Azure Site Recovery processes administrative requests. When users perform operations such as configuring replication settings or initiating failover procedures, the service fails to properly validate whether the requesting user possesses the necessary elevated permissions. This weakness creates a scenario where an attacker with basic user credentials could potentially exploit the system to execute privileged operations that should be restricted to administrators only. The vulnerability manifests through the manipulation of API parameters or by exploiting specific timing conditions in the authentication flow, allowing unauthorized access to recovery services vaults and their associated resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to compromise entire Azure environments through the recovery services infrastructure. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain access to replicated virtual machines, backup data, and recovery point information that would normally be protected. This access could lead to data exfiltration, system disruption, or further lateral movement within the Azure tenant. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because Azure Site Recovery is commonly used for disaster recovery and business continuity planning, making it a prime target for attackers seeking persistent access to critical infrastructure. The exploitation could result in significant business disruption and compliance violations, especially in regulated industries where data protection and recovery procedures are strictly governed.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including thorough review of access control policies for Azure Site Recovery services, implementation of just-in-time access controls, and regular monitoring of administrative activities within recovery services vaults. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control in software systems, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering attacks that might leverage this privilege escalation. Microsoft has released patches and updates to address this vulnerability, and organizations should ensure all Azure Site Recovery components are updated to the latest versions. Additional defensive measures include implementing multi-factor authentication for all administrative accounts, enabling Azure Monitor alerts for unusual administrative activities, and conducting regular security assessments of recovery services configurations. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper privilege management in cloud environments and demonstrates how seemingly routine administrative functions can present significant security risks when access controls are improperly implemented.