CVE-2023-22307 in Checkmk Appliance
Summary
by MITRE • 04/18/2023
Sensitive data exposure in Webconf in Tribe29 Checkmk Appliance before 1.6.4 allows local attacker to retrieve passwords via reading log files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/18/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-22307 represents a critical sensitive data exposure flaw within the Webconf component of Tribe29 Checkmk Appliance versions prior to 1.6.4. This issue manifests as a local privilege escalation vulnerability that allows attackers with local system access to extract passwords and other sensitive information from log files. The affected system operates as a network monitoring and management platform that collects and processes various operational data from monitored devices, making it a prime target for adversaries seeking to escalate their access privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls and improper privilege separation within the Webconf module. When the system processes certain operations, it generates log entries that contain cleartext passwords and authentication credentials, which are subsequently stored in log files with insufficient access restrictions. The flaw exists because the logging mechanism does not properly sanitize or encrypt sensitive information before writing it to persistent storage, and the log files are accessible to local users with minimal privileges. This design oversight creates an information disclosure channel that directly violates security principles of least privilege and data protection.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability significantly undermines the security posture of affected systems by providing attackers with direct access to authentication credentials that could be used for lateral movement within the network. The extracted passwords could potentially provide access to additional systems, databases, or services that rely on the same authentication mechanisms. Network administrators and security teams face the challenge of identifying compromised systems and implementing immediate remediation measures, as the vulnerability allows for persistent access to sensitive operational data. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires only local access to the system, which can be achieved through various initial compromise techniques such as phishing, credential theft, or exploitation of other vulnerabilities.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which describes "Information Exposure" and specifically addresses the improper exposure of sensitive information. It also relates to CWE-732, "Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource," as the flaw involves inadequate permission settings for log files containing sensitive data. From an attack framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to the ATT&CK technique T1078.004 "Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts" when the extracted credentials are used to access cloud services, and T1566.001 "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment" if the initial compromise occurred through email-based attacks. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to Checkmk Appliance version 1.6.4 or later, implementing proper log file access controls, and conducting thorough security audits of all log files to identify and remediate similar issues.
Mitigation strategies should include mandatory system updates to the patched version, implementation of automated log file monitoring and access control enforcement, and regular security assessments to identify potential information disclosure vulnerabilities. The affected systems should also implement proper logging practices that ensure sensitive data is either encrypted in transit and at rest, or properly sanitized before being written to log files. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit local user privileges and reduce the attack surface for such vulnerabilities. Security teams should also establish incident response procedures specifically designed to handle credential exposure incidents and implement continuous monitoring for unauthorized access to system logs.