CVE-2022-45868 in Communications Service Catalog and Design
Summary
by MITRE • 11/24/2022
** DISPUTED ** The web-based admin console in H2 Database Engine through 2.1.214 can be started via the CLI with the argument -webAdminPassword, which allows the user to specify the password in cleartext for the web admin console. Consequently, a local user (or an attacker that has obtained local access through some means) would be able to discover the password by listing processes and their arguments. NOTE: the vendor states "This is not a vulnerability of H2 Console ... Passwords should never be passed on the command line and every qualified DBA or system administrator is expected to know that."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2024
The H2 Database Engine vulnerability CVE-2022-45868 represents a significant security concern related to command-line argument handling and credential exposure. This issue affects versions through 2.1.214 and specifically involves the web-based admin console functionality that can be initiated through the command line interface. The vulnerability arises from the design decision that allows administrators to specify the web admin console password using the -webAdminPassword argument directly in the command line. This implementation pattern fundamentally contradicts established security best practices and creates an exploitable condition where sensitive authentication credentials become visible to any process monitoring tool or user with sufficient privileges.
The technical flaw stems from the insecure handling of command-line arguments containing sensitive information. When the -webAdminPassword parameter is used, the password value becomes part of the process command line arguments which are typically accessible through system monitoring tools such as ps, tasklist, or similar process enumeration utilities. This exposure occurs because command-line arguments are not only visible to the process owner but also to any user with appropriate permissions to view process information on the system. The vulnerability manifests as a clear-text credential exposure scenario where the password remains in plain text within the process arguments, making it trivial for local users or attackers with local access to discover and extract the administrative password through standard system monitoring techniques.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a critical attack surface for local privilege escalation and unauthorized access to database administrative functions. The threat model assumes an attacker has already achieved local system access through some means, which is a common initial compromise scenario in many security breach pathways. Once the password is discovered through process enumeration, the attacker gains direct access to the web-based administrative console which typically provides extensive database management capabilities including user creation, privilege modification, data manipulation, and system configuration changes. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1059.003 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell) and T1078.004 (Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts) where command-line arguments are leveraged for credential discovery and lateral movement.
The vendor's response characterizes this as not being a vulnerability of the H2 Console itself, instead positioning it as a user configuration error or security misconfiguration. However, this assessment fails to address the fundamental security implications of exposing credentials in command-line arguments, which is widely recognized as a serious security anti-pattern. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-259 (Use of Hard-coded Password) as it involves the storage and transmission of sensitive credentials in an insecure manner. Industry standards and security frameworks consistently advise against passing passwords through command-line arguments due to the inherent exposure risk. The recommended mitigation strategy involves avoiding the use of -webAdminPassword argument altogether and instead configuring passwords through secure configuration files or environment variables that are not exposed in process listings. Additionally, organizations should implement process monitoring and access controls to limit who can enumerate system processes, while also adopting principle of least privilege approaches to database administration tasks.