CVE-2023-51515 in Uncode Core Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/12/2024
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Undsgn Uncode Core allows Privilege Escalation.This issue affects Uncode Core: from n/a through 2.8.8.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2024
The CVE-2023-51515 vulnerability represents a critical authorization flaw within the Undsgn Uncode Core framework that enables unauthorized privilege escalation attacks. This vulnerability exists in versions ranging from the initial release through 2.8.8, indicating a prolonged period during which the system remained susceptible to exploitation. The flaw stems from inadequate access control mechanisms that fail to properly validate user permissions before granting elevated privileges or sensitive operations. Such missing authorization checks create a pathway for malicious actors to bypass normal security restrictions and assume higher-level roles within the system. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as it allows attackers to escalate their privileges from standard user levels to administrative or root-level permissions, fundamentally compromising the system's security posture.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the principle of least privilege enforcement within the Uncode Core architecture. When users attempt to perform operations that require elevated permissions, the system should verify their authorization status through proper authentication and authorization checks before executing any privileged actions. However, in this case, the authorization validation process is either completely absent or insufficiently implemented, allowing unauthorized users to execute privileged functions without proper verification. This type of flaw typically occurs when developers overlook the importance of access control validation in critical system components or fail to implement comprehensive permission checking mechanisms throughout the application's codebase. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which specifically addresses insufficient authorization issues in software systems, and represents a clear violation of the authorization principle that should be enforced at every level of application execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-51515 extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as successful exploitation can lead to complete system compromise and data breaches. Attackers who exploit this vulnerability can gain access to sensitive system resources, modify critical configurations, manipulate user accounts, and potentially exfiltrate confidential data. The privilege escalation capability means that even if an attacker initially gains access through a low-privilege account, they can quickly elevate their access level to achieve administrative control over the entire system. This vulnerability creates opportunities for persistent threats to establish backdoors, deploy malware, or conduct advanced persistent threat operations within the compromised environment. Organizations running affected versions of Uncode Core face significant risk of unauthorized system manipulation, data loss, and potential regulatory compliance violations that could result in substantial financial and reputational damage.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-51515 should prioritize immediate remediation through the deployment of the latest available patch or update from Undsgn, as this represents the most effective solution to address the underlying authorization flaw. Organizations should also implement comprehensive access control reviews to identify and remediate similar authorization gaps throughout their systems, ensuring that all privileged operations require proper authentication and authorization validation. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other potential authorization bypasses within the application architecture and implement additional monitoring controls to detect suspicious access patterns or privilege escalation attempts. The implementation of proper logging and audit trails for all privileged operations becomes critical for detecting exploitation attempts and maintaining forensic readiness. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and conducting regular security testing to identify authorization-related flaws before they can be exploited by malicious actors, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1548 for abuse of privileges. Organizations should consider implementing zero-trust security models that continuously validate access permissions rather than relying on initial authentication, providing an additional layer of protection against authorization bypass attacks.