CVE-2023-28323 in EPM
Summary
by MITRE • 07/01/2023
A deserialization of untrusted data exists in EPM 2022 Su3 and all prior versions that allows an unauthenticated user to elevate rights. This exploit could potentially be used in conjunction with other OS (Operating System) vulnerabilities to escalate privileges on the machine or be used as a stepping stone to get to other network attached machines.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-28323 represents a critical deserialization flaw in Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) 2022 Su3 and earlier versions. This issue stems from the application's improper handling of untrusted data during the deserialization process, creating a pathway for attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. The vulnerability exists within the core data processing mechanisms of the EPM platform, which is designed for enterprise-level performance monitoring and reporting. Attackers can exploit this weakness without requiring authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous as it eliminates the need for initial access tokens or user accounts. The deserialization vulnerability allows for remote code execution through crafted malicious payloads that are processed by the application's deserialization engine.
The technical flaw manifests when the EPM application receives and processes data from external sources without proper validation or sanitization. This weakness enables attackers to inject malicious objects that, when deserialized, trigger unintended behavior within the application's runtime environment. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-502, which specifically addresses "Deserialization of Untrusted Data" and represents one of the most prevalent attack vectors in enterprise software. When exploited, the vulnerability allows for privilege escalation from standard user access to administrative privileges, effectively compromising the entire system. The attack chain typically involves sending specially crafted serialized data to the vulnerable EPM service, which then processes this data and executes the embedded malicious code with the privileges of the running application.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-28323 extends beyond immediate system compromise, as it provides attackers with a powerful foothold for further network exploration and lateral movement. Once an attacker achieves privilege escalation, they can leverage this access to pivot to other systems within the network infrastructure, potentially compromising additional enterprise resources. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely heavily on EPM for business intelligence and performance monitoring, as these systems often run with elevated privileges and may contain sensitive enterprise data. The exploitability of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, which covers "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell," as attackers can use the elevated privileges to execute PowerShell commands and further compromise the environment. The vulnerability's potential for use in conjunction with other operating system vulnerabilities creates a multi-vector attack scenario that significantly increases the overall risk to enterprise networks.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches for EPM 2022 Su3 and later versions, which address the deserialization flaw through proper input validation and sanitization. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of vulnerable EPM systems to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous deserialization activities. The implementation of application whitelisting policies can prevent unauthorized code execution, and regular security assessments should be conducted to identify other potential deserialization vulnerabilities within the enterprise environment. Additionally, organizations should consider disabling unnecessary services and ports related to EPM to reduce the attack surface, while maintaining detailed audit logs to track any suspicious activities that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-502 and its potential for privilege escalation through ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation," underscores the importance of comprehensive security measures to protect against this and similar threats.