CVE-2023-2355 in Snap Deploy
Summary
by MITRE • 04/27/2023
Local privilege escalation due to a DLL hijacking vulnerability. The following products are affected: Acronis Snap Deploy (Windows) before build 3900.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-2355 represents a critical local privilege escalation flaw within Acronis Snap Deploy software for Windows platforms. This issue stems from a DLL hijacking vulnerability that allows unprivileged local users to escalate their privileges to system level access. The affected version range includes all builds prior to build 3900, indicating that organizations running older versions of this backup and deployment solution face significant security risks. The vulnerability specifically targets the software's dynamic link library loading mechanism, which is a common attack vector in Windows environments where applications load DLLs from predictable locations without proper validation.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a carefully crafted malicious DLL file that gets loaded by the vulnerable Acronis Snap Deploy application during normal operation. When the application executes, it searches for required libraries in the current working directory or other predictable paths, and if a malicious DLL is present in these locations, it gets loaded automatically without proper authentication or authorization checks. This behavior aligns with CWE-426, which describes the weakness of untrusted search path vulnerability, where applications use search paths that can be manipulated by attackers to load malicious code. The flaw essentially allows an attacker to inject code into a process that runs with elevated privileges, creating a direct pathway for privilege escalation attacks.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to organizations that rely on Acronis Snap Deploy for system imaging and deployment operations. Since the application typically runs with administrative privileges during deployment tasks, successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain system-level access, install persistent backdoors, modify system configurations, or exfiltrate sensitive data. The attack surface is particularly concerning because system administrators often use this software for critical infrastructure deployment, making it a prime target for adversaries seeking long-term access to network environments. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers the use of local privilege escalation techniques, and T1546, which addresses the creation of persistence mechanisms through dynamic link library loading.
Organizations should immediately implement several mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The most effective immediate solution is to update to Acronis Snap Deploy build 3900 or later, which contains the necessary patches to prevent DLL hijacking attacks. System administrators should also conduct comprehensive audits of all systems running vulnerable versions to identify potential exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and privilege separation practices should be reinforced, ensuring that deployment tools do not run with unnecessary administrative privileges. Additionally, implementing application whitelisting policies can prevent unauthorized DLL files from executing in critical system directories. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious file creation patterns in application directories, particularly around the time of deployment operations. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of regular security assessments and patch management processes, as this type of issue typically remains undetected until exploited in the wild. Organizations should also consider implementing behavioral monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous DLL loading patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.