CVE-2023-25648 in ZXCLOUD iRAI
Summary
by MITRE • 12/14/2023
There is a weak folder permission vulnerability in ZTE's ZXCLOUD iRAI product. Due to weak folder permission, an attacker with ordinary user privileges could construct a fake DLL to execute command to escalate local privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/10/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-25648 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within ZTE's ZXCLOUD iRAI product line. This weakness stems from inadequate folder permission configurations that create exploitable pathways for attackers to elevate their system access privileges. The vulnerability specifically affects the product's handling of dynamic link library files and demonstrates how insufficient access controls can be leveraged to compromise system integrity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of weak directory permissions that allow standard user accounts to manipulate critical system folders. Attackers can construct malicious dynamic link library files and place them in strategically configured locations where the system will execute them with elevated privileges. This mechanism operates through the principle of DLL search order hijacking, where the system loads the attacker-controlled library instead of the legitimate one, as classified under CWE-426. The flaw essentially bypasses normal access control mechanisms by exploiting the trust relationship between system components and their expected file locations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it enables attackers to gain unauthorized access to system resources, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Once elevated to administrative privileges, an attacker can modify system configurations, install malware, access sensitive data, and establish persistent backdoors. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where ZTE iRAI products are deployed in corporate or government settings where system integrity and access control are paramount. The attack vector requires minimal privileges initially, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by users with standard account access who would normally have no means to compromise system security.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-25648 should focus on implementing proper folder permission controls and privilege separation mechanisms. System administrators must ensure that critical directories have appropriate access controls with minimal necessary permissions for each user group. The implementation of the principle of least privilege should be enforced across all system components, preventing standard users from writing to system directories. Additionally, security updates from ZTE should be applied immediately, as this vulnerability is likely to be exploited in the wild given its low complexity and high impact. Organizations should also implement monitoring for unauthorized file modifications in critical system directories and establish regular permission audits to detect and remediate similar misconfigurations. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which involves the use of local privilege escalation techniques to gain system-level access, making it a significant concern for security operations teams tasked with protecting enterprise environments.