CVE-2022-35782 in Azure Site Recovery VMWare to Azure
Summary
by MITRE • 08/10/2022
Azure Site Recovery Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2022-35774, CVE-2022-35775, CVE-2022-35780, CVE-2022-35781, CVE-2022-35783, CVE-2022-35784, CVE-2022-35785, CVE-2022-35786, CVE-2022-35787, CVE-2022-35788, CVE-2022-35789, CVE-2022-35790, CVE-2022-35791, CVE-2022-35799, CVE-2022-35800, CVE-2022-35801, CVE-2022-35802, CVE-2022-35807, CVE-2022-35808, CVE-2022-35809, CVE-2022-35810, CVE-2022-35811, CVE-2022-35812, CVE-2022-35813, CVE-2022-35814, CVE-2022-35815, CVE-2022-35816, CVE-2022-35817, CVE-2022-35818, CVE-2022-35819.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2025
The Azure Site Recovery service presents a critical elevation of privilege vulnerability that allows authenticated attackers to escalate their privileges within the system. This vulnerability specifically affects the Azure Site Recovery component used for disaster recovery and backup operations, enabling malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to elevated system permissions. The flaw exists within the service's authorization mechanisms and privilege management controls, potentially allowing attackers to perform actions beyond their intended access levels. This vulnerability is particularly concerning given that Azure Site Recovery is commonly used for protecting critical business applications and data, making it an attractive target for adversaries seeking persistent access to enterprise environments. The vulnerability enables attackers to execute privileged operations that should be restricted to authorized administrators only.
Technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on improper access control validation within the Azure Site Recovery service implementation. The flaw manifests when the system fails to adequately verify user permissions during privilege escalation operations, allowing authenticated users to manipulate system controls and gain elevated privileges. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform operations such as modifying recovery policies, accessing protected backup data, or manipulating recovery services without proper authorization. The vulnerability is classified as an elevation of privilege issue, which aligns with CWE-276, which specifically addresses improper privileges. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' and represents a significant threat vector for attackers seeking to expand their access within cloud environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, potentially enabling attackers to compromise entire disaster recovery workflows and data protection mechanisms. Organizations using Azure Site Recovery for critical business continuity operations face substantial risk, as attackers could manipulate backup configurations, access sensitive recovery data, or disrupt recovery processes entirely. The vulnerability affects the service's ability to maintain proper access controls and authentication boundaries, potentially allowing lateral movement within the Azure environment. This weakness creates a persistent threat vector that could remain undetected for extended periods, as the elevated privileges would appear to originate from legitimate administrative activities. The impact is particularly severe for organizations that rely heavily on Azure Site Recovery for their disaster recovery strategies, as it could compromise the integrity and availability of their backup and recovery infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of Azure security updates and patches provided by Microsoft to address the privilege escalation flaw. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their Azure Site Recovery configurations to identify any potential exploitation attempts and ensure proper access control measures are in place. Network segmentation and monitoring controls should be enhanced to detect unusual privilege escalation activities within the Azure environment. Implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular auditing of administrative activities can help prevent unauthorized privilege escalation. Security teams should also consider implementing Azure Security Center monitoring and alerting configurations to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should review their Azure Site Recovery service configurations to ensure proper role-based access controls are enforced and that administrative activities are properly logged and monitored. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security controls and implementing comprehensive monitoring solutions to detect and prevent privilege escalation attacks in cloud environments. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning of Azure services are essential to maintain protection against similar threats.