CVE-2023-49617 in FeverWarn
Summary
by MITRE • 02/02/2024
The MachineSense application programmable interface (API) is improperly protected and can be accessed without authentication. A remote attacker could retrieve and modify sensitive information without any authentication.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/06/2025
The MachineSense application programming interface suffers from a critical authentication bypass vulnerability that fundamentally compromises the security posture of the system. This flaw resides in the API's access control mechanisms, where proper authentication checks have been either omitted or incorrectly implemented, allowing unauthorized remote actors to gain unrestricted access to sensitive data and functionality. The vulnerability represents a severe failure in the principle of least privilege and demonstrates poor security design practices in the application's architecture.
This authentication bypass vulnerability falls under the category of weak authentication mechanisms and can be classified as CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues within software systems. The flaw enables attackers to perform unauthorized operations including data retrieval, modification, and potentially deletion of critical information. The remote nature of the vulnerability means that attackers do not require physical access or local network presence to exploit the flaw, making it particularly dangerous in modern networked environments where applications are exposed to external threats.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it creates a pathway for attackers to manipulate the application's functionality and potentially compromise the entire system. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary operations within the application's interface, potentially leading to data breaches, service disruption, and unauthorized system modifications. The lack of authentication protection directly violates fundamental security principles and creates an attack surface that can be exploited for various malicious activities including data exfiltration, system compromise, and potential lateral movement within networked environments.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with tactics and techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the initial access and privilege escalation domains. Attackers can utilize this weakness to establish persistent access to the system and potentially move laterally through networks. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal technical skill and provides maximum impact, making it an attractive target for both automated attacks and targeted threat actors. Organizations should consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish proper access controls to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive interfaces.
The remediation approach should focus on implementing robust authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication where appropriate, and ensuring that all API endpoints properly validate user credentials before granting access to sensitive resources. Security controls should be implemented at multiple layers including network-level access controls, application-level authentication, and proper authorization checks. Regular security testing and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities and ensure that access control mechanisms remain effective against evolving threats. Additionally, implementing proper logging and monitoring of API access attempts can help detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts.