CVE-2023-27313 in SnapCenter
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
SnapCenter versions 3.x and 4.x prior to 4.9 are susceptible to a vulnerability which may allow an authenticated unprivileged user to gain access as an admin user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/02/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-27313 affects SnapCenter software versions 3.x and 4.x prior to 4.9, representing a critical authorization flaw that undermines the security model of the application. This issue stems from improper privilege management within the authentication system, allowing attackers who have already established an authenticated session to escalate their privileges from unprivileged user status to administrative access. The flaw specifically targets the role-based access control mechanisms implemented within SnapCenter's user management framework, creating a path for privilege escalation that bypasses normal security boundaries. Organizations utilizing these vulnerable versions face significant risk as attackers can exploit this weakness to gain full administrative control over backup and recovery operations without requiring additional credentials or elevated privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a flaw in the privilege validation process where the system fails to properly verify user roles during critical administrative operations. When an authenticated user attempts to perform certain administrative functions, the application does not adequately validate whether the user possesses the necessary administrative privileges. This oversight creates a condition where legitimate administrative actions can be executed by users who should not have such access rights. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes administrative requests without proper role verification, effectively allowing any authenticated user to execute administrative commands through a series of carefully crafted API calls or interface interactions. This type of flaw aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems, and represents a classic example of insufficient access control mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-27313 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and confidentiality of backup operations managed by SnapCenter. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can access sensitive backup data, modify backup configurations, disable backup schedules, and potentially cause data loss or corruption through unauthorized administrative actions. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where SnapCenter is used to protect critical business data, as the attacker could gain access to backup repositories containing production data, system configurations, and potentially sensitive information. This vulnerability also enables attackers to manipulate backup policies, create or delete backup jobs, and potentially disrupt business continuity operations. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that the vulnerability requires only an existing authenticated session, meaning that an attacker who has already gained access through other means can leverage this flaw to achieve complete system compromise.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to SnapCenter version 4.9 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address this privilege escalation vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough review of user access controls and implement the principle of least privilege, ensuring that only authorized personnel maintain administrative accounts. Network segmentation and monitoring of administrative activities can help detect unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper access control validation and highlights the need for regular security assessments of authentication systems. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts and regular security audits to identify similar authorization flaws in other systems. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of maintaining current security patches and the potential consequences of running outdated software versions in enterprise environments.