CVE-2023-30367 in mRemoteNG
Summary
by MITRE • 07/27/2023
mRemoteNG configuration files can be stored in an encrypted state on disk. mRemoteNG version <= v1.76.20 and <= 1.77.3-dev loads configuration files in plain text into memory at application start-up, even if no connection has been established yet. This allows attackers to access contents of configuration files in plain text through a memory dump and thus compromise user credentials when no custom password encryption key has been set. This also bypasses the connection configuration file encryption setting by dumping already decrypted configurations from memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-30367 affects mRemoteNG versions up to and including v1.76.20 and v1.77.3-dev, representing a critical security flaw in how the application handles configuration file memory management. This issue stems from the application's design decision to load configuration files in plain text format into memory during the initial application startup process, regardless of whether any active connections have been established or if the user has initiated any interactive sessions. The flaw exists at the fundamental level of application architecture where sensitive data handling practices are insufficiently implemented. The vulnerability directly violates security best practices for data protection in memory, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by attackers with minimal privileges to access sensitive information that should remain protected.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's memory management system failing to properly isolate or protect sensitive configuration data during the application initialization phase. When mRemoteNG starts up, it processes all configuration files and loads them into memory in their decrypted form, even before any user interaction occurs or connection establishment takes place. This behavior creates a window of opportunity where attackers can perform memory dumps of the running process and extract plaintext credentials, connection details, and other sensitive information that would normally be protected through encryption mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically targets the absence of proper memory sanitization and data protection during application startup, where the system loads and maintains sensitive information in accessible memory locations without adequate security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations using mRemoteNG for remote desktop management and network administration tasks. Attackers who gain access to the system can leverage memory dump capabilities to extract user credentials, connection strings, and other sensitive configuration data that would otherwise be protected by the application's encryption features. This bypasses the intended security controls that users rely on to protect their connection configurations, effectively neutralizing the encryption protection mechanism. The vulnerability becomes particularly dangerous when no custom password encryption key has been set by the user, as the default encryption settings become completely ineffective. This allows for complete compromise of network access credentials, potentially enabling lateral movement and persistent access within the targeted network infrastructure. The impact extends beyond individual user accounts to potentially compromise entire network access points and administrative privileges.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate application updates to versions that address the memory handling flaw, as well as implementing additional security controls to protect running processes from memory analysis attacks. Organizations should ensure that all instances of mRemoteNG are updated to versions that properly handle configuration file loading and memory management. System administrators should implement memory protection mechanisms such as process isolation, memory encryption, and regular security scanning to detect potential memory dump attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses improper exposure of sensitive information, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1003.001 for OS credential dumping, highlighting the need for comprehensive memory protection strategies. Additionally, organizations should enforce strict access controls and monitoring of system processes to detect and prevent unauthorized memory access attempts that could exploit this vulnerability.