CVE-2023-42709 in SC7731E
Summary
by MITRE • 12/04/2023
In firewall service, there is a possible way to write permission usage records of an app due to a missing permission check. This could lead to local information disclosure with no additional execution privileges needed
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-42709 resides within a firewall service component where insufficient permission validation allows unauthorized applications to write permission usage records. This flaw represents a critical security oversight that undermines the integrity of the system's access control mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from a missing permission check that should validate whether an application has proper authorization before permitting it to log or record permission usage activities. Such a weakness creates an attack surface where malicious or compromised applications can potentially gather sensitive information about other applications' permission behaviors without requiring additional execution privileges or elevated access rights.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the principle of least privilege enforcement within the firewall service architecture. When applications attempt to write permission usage records, the system fails to verify whether the requesting entity possesses the necessary authorization levels to perform such operations. This missing validation occurs at the service level where permission logging mechanisms should enforce strict access controls. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 as an "Improper Access Control" where the system fails to properly enforce access restrictions. The flaw operates at the application layer where the firewall service interfaces with permission management systems, creating a path for unauthorized data collection through seemingly benign permission logging operations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables local information disclosure attacks where adversaries can harvest permission usage data from other applications without requiring additional privileges. The impact extends beyond simple data collection as permission usage records often contain sensitive information about application behavior, user activities, and system access patterns. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain insights into the operational characteristics of other applications, potentially identifying vulnerabilities in their security configurations or discovering patterns that could facilitate further attacks. This information disclosure capability is particularly concerning because it operates without requiring additional execution privileges, making it accessible to low-privileged processes or applications that should not have access to such sensitive metadata.
The security implications of CVE-2023-42709 align with ATT&CK technique T1083 as it enables adversaries to discover system information through permission logging mechanisms. The vulnerability creates opportunities for reconnaissance activities where attackers can systematically gather permission usage data across multiple applications to build comprehensive profiles of system behavior. This reconnaissance capability can be leveraged to identify potential attack vectors, understand application dependencies, or discover applications with overly permissive configurations. Organizations implementing firewall services with this vulnerability face increased risk of targeted attacks where adversaries use the collected permission information to craft more sophisticated exploitation strategies. The lack of additional execution privileges required for exploitation means that even basic user accounts or compromised applications can potentially access this sensitive information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-42709 should focus on implementing robust permission validation mechanisms within the firewall service. System administrators should ensure that all permission logging operations enforce strict access controls and validate the requesting entity's authorization levels before allowing record creation. The implementation should include mandatory authentication checks, proper authorization verification, and logging of all permission access attempts for audit purposes. Organizations should also consider implementing least privilege principles where applications are granted only the minimum necessary permissions to perform their intended functions. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar permission validation gaps within the firewall service architecture. The fix should involve adding comprehensive permission checks that validate both the identity and authorization levels of requesting applications before allowing any permission usage record creation. Additionally, monitoring and alerting systems should be implemented to detect unauthorized permission access attempts and potential exploitation of this vulnerability.