CVE-2023-1202 in Remote Desktop Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 04/02/2023
Permission bypass when importing or synchronizing entries in User vault in Devolutions Remote Desktop Manager 2023.1.9 and prior versions allows users with restricted rights to bypass entry permission via id collision.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/21/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-1202 represents a critical permission bypass flaw within Devolutions Remote Desktop Manager version 2023.1.9 and earlier releases. This issue specifically affects the user vault functionality where the application fails to properly validate entry permissions during import or synchronization operations. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and insufficient access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to exploit id collision scenarios to gain elevated privileges. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it directly undermines the core security model of the application by enabling restricted users to bypass established permission boundaries.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the application processes imported or synchronized entries without properly verifying that the importing user has the necessary permissions to access or modify the target entries. The id collision aspect of this flaw suggests that when duplicate identifiers are encountered during import operations, the system fails to properly handle these conflicts and instead allows the lower-privileged user to inherit or assume the permissions associated with higher-privileged entries. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checking and inadequate input sanitization that creates an exploitable condition within the application's data processing pipeline. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for organizations relying on Devolutions Remote Desktop Manager for credential management and remote access operations. Attackers who can successfully exploit this flaw can potentially access sensitive credentials, system configurations, and other privileged information that should only be available to authorized administrators. The impact extends beyond simple credential theft as it enables lateral movement within the network infrastructure, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges and gain access to additional systems and resources. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to complete compromise of the remote desktop management environment.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to have access to the application with restricted user rights and to be able to perform import or synchronization operations. The attack vector typically involves crafting or manipulating import files containing entries with identifiers that collide with existing entries in the user vault. The attacker must then leverage these collisions to force the application into a state where permission boundaries are incorrectly enforced. This attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and credential access through legitimate system access. Organizations should consider implementing additional monitoring and access controls around import and synchronization operations to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of affected versions to the latest stable release of Devolutions Remote Desktop Manager. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit the ability of restricted users to perform import operations. Additional defensive measures include enabling detailed logging of import and synchronization activities, implementing file integrity checks for import sources, and conducting regular security assessments of the remote desktop management environment. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper access control implementation and input validation in enterprise security applications. Security teams should also consider implementing privileged access management solutions to further reduce the attack surface and limit the potential impact of such permission bypass vulnerabilities in their infrastructure.