CVE-2023-4834 in mbCONNECT24
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
In Red Lion Europe mbCONNECT24 and mymbCONNECT24 and Helmholz myREX24 and myREX24.virtual up to and including 2.14.2 an improperly implemented access validation allows an authenticated, low privileged attacker to gain read access to limited, non-critical device information in his account he should not have access to.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-4834 affects Red Lion Europe's mbCONNECT24 and mymbCONNECT24 software platforms along with Helmholz myREX24 and myREX24.virtual systems across versions up to 2.14.2. This represents a critical access control weakness that undermines the security posture of industrial automation and monitoring environments where these systems are deployed. The flaw manifests as an improperly implemented access validation mechanism that fails to properly enforce authorization boundaries for authenticated users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access control validation within the application's authentication framework. An authenticated user with low privilege level can exploit this weakness to access device information that should remain restricted to authorized personnel only. This misconfiguration allows the attacker to read limited but potentially sensitive data that belongs to other users within the same account hierarchy. The vulnerability specifically impacts the authorization validation process where the system fails to properly verify user permissions before granting access to device information resources.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant risk for industrial control systems and monitoring environments where data confidentiality is paramount. The ability for low privilege users to access unauthorized device information could potentially enable further exploitation attempts or provide attackers with insights into system configurations and user account structures. While the vulnerability is limited to non-critical information, in industrial settings where operational technology systems are interconnected, such information could serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks. The access validation failure could also impact audit trails and compliance requirements for industrial automation systems.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization in software systems, specifically targeting the failure to properly validate access controls for authenticated users. From an attacker's perspective, this weakness maps to techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and credential access tactics where adversaries attempt to gain access to resources beyond their authorized scope. Organizations implementing these systems should consider this vulnerability in their risk assessment frameworks, particularly in environments where industrial control systems require strict access controls and data segregation. The issue demonstrates the importance of proper access control implementation in industrial automation platforms where security is as critical as operational functionality.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected systems to version 2.14.3 or later where the access validation has been properly implemented. Organizations should also conduct thorough access control reviews to identify potential similar weaknesses in their industrial automation environments. Network segmentation and monitoring of access patterns can help detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing principle of least privilege configurations and regular security assessments of industrial control systems can help prevent similar access control vulnerabilities from emerging in the future.