CVE-2023-45244 in Acronis
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
Sensitive information disclosure due to missing authorization. The following products are affected: Acronis Agent (Linux, macOS, Windows) before build 35895.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-45244 represents a critical authorization bypass issue affecting Acronis Agent across multiple operating systems including Linux, macOS, and Windows platforms. This weakness stems from insufficient access controls that allow unauthorized entities to gain access to sensitive data that should be protected by proper authentication and authorization mechanisms. The affected version range specifically includes Acronis Agent builds prior to 35895, indicating that organizations running older versions remain at risk of exposure to this security flaw. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control, specifically focusing on inadequate authorization checks that permit unauthorized access to protected resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through missing authorization checks within the Acronis Agent software components, particularly when handling sensitive information requests. Attackers can exploit this weakness to access data that should only be available to authorized users or system processes, potentially including backup configurations, credentials, system information, or other confidential data processed by the agent. The flaw likely exists in the agent's communication protocols or local data handling mechanisms where proper authentication validation is either absent or incorrectly implemented, allowing attackers to bypass normal access control enforcement points.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it creates potential pathways for more sophisticated attacks including lateral movement within networks, credential theft, and system compromise. Organizations relying on Acronis backup solutions for critical infrastructure may face significant risks if attackers can leverage this authorization bypass to access backup data or system configurations that could reveal network topology, user credentials, or other sensitive operational information. The cross-platform nature of the vulnerability means that security teams must address the issue across all supported operating systems, increasing the complexity of remediation efforts and potentially exposing organizations to attacks targeting their weakest security controls.
Security professionals should immediately prioritize patching affected systems to build 35895 or later versions to address this vulnerability. The mitigation strategy should include comprehensive inventory management to identify all affected Acronis Agent installations across the enterprise environment, followed by coordinated patch deployment activities. Organizations should also implement network monitoring to detect unusual access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts and consider conducting security assessments to verify that proper access controls have been restored. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security software and implementing robust access control measures as outlined in the mitre ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation and credential access tactics. The incident underscores the necessity for continuous security monitoring and the application of defense-in-depth strategies to protect against unauthorized access to sensitive system information.