CVE-2023-41744 in Acronis
Summary
by MITRE • 08/31/2023
Local privilege escalation due to unrestricted loading of unsigned libraries. The following products are affected: Acronis Agent (macOS) before build 30600, Acronis Cyber Protect 15 (macOS) before build 35979.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-41744 represents a critical local privilege escalation flaw affecting Acronis Agent for macOS and Acronis Cyber Protect 15 for macOS. This issue stems from an insecure library loading mechanism that permits the execution of unsigned code with elevated privileges, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions prior to build 30600 for Acronis Agent and build 35979 for Acronis Cyber Protect 15, indicating a widespread concern within the Acronis product ecosystem. The flaw allows an attacker with local access to potentially execute arbitrary code with root privileges, fundamentally compromising system integrity and security posture.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of dynamic library loading within the affected Acronis applications. When these applications execute, they load shared libraries without sufficient validation of their digital signatures or authenticity. This behavior violates fundamental security principles and creates a pathway for privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability can be categorized under CWE-427 Uncontrolled Search Path Element, as the applications fail to properly control the library search paths, allowing attackers to inject malicious code. Additionally, this issue manifests as a direct violation of the principle of least privilege, where legitimate system processes are granted unnecessary elevated access that can be exploited by adversaries.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-41744 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to gain persistent access to affected systems. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can install malware, modify system files, create backdoors, or exfiltrate sensitive data without detection. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where Acronis agents are commonly deployed for backup and recovery operations, as these systems often have elevated privileges and access to critical organizational data. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which describes the use of local privilege escalation to gain system-level access. The attack surface is further expanded because Acronis agents typically run with elevated privileges to perform backup operations, making them attractive targets for exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate deployment of patches provided by Acronis, which address the insecure library loading behavior by implementing proper code signing verification and restricting library search paths. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as monitoring for suspicious library loading patterns, restricting write access to system directories, and employing application whitelisting policies to prevent unauthorized code execution. The security community should consider this vulnerability as a prime example of how improper library loading can create severe privilege escalation opportunities, emphasizing the importance of implementing secure coding practices and regular security assessments of third-party software components. Network segmentation and privilege separation measures can further reduce the potential impact of such vulnerabilities by limiting the scope of compromise even if exploitation occurs.