CVE-2023-52947 in Active Backup for Business Agent
Summary
by MITRE • 09/26/2024
Missing authentication for critical function vulnerability in logout functionality in Synology Active Backup for Business Agent before 2.6.3-3101 allows local users to logout the client via unspecified vectors. The backup functionality will continue to operate and will not be affected by the logout.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical authentication flaw in Synology Active Backup for Business Agent software where the logout function lacks proper authentication mechanisms. The issue affects versions prior to 2.6.3-3101 and allows local attackers to initiate client logout processes through unspecified vectors without proper authorization. The vulnerability falls under the category of missing authentication for critical functions as defined by CWE-863, which occurs when an application fails to properly authenticate users attempting to access critical system functions. This weakness enables unauthorized local users to manipulate the backup client's operational state, potentially disrupting backup processes or creating opportunities for further attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a failure in access control enforcement within the backup agent's authentication framework. When a local user can execute logout operations without proper authentication, it indicates that the system does not validate user credentials or privileges before allowing execution of the logout function. This represents a privilege escalation vector where local users can potentially manipulate the backup client's operational status, even though the backup functionality itself continues to operate independently. The backup processes remain unaffected by the logout action, suggesting that the vulnerability primarily impacts the client management interface rather than the core backup operations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security implications for organizations relying on Synology Active Backup for Business solutions. Local attackers can exploit this weakness to disrupt backup client operations, potentially causing backup failures or creating denial of service conditions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows unauthorized local users to manipulate the client state without affecting the actual backup processes, which means attackers could potentially hide their activities or create confusion during incident response. The unspecified vectors suggest that multiple attack paths may exist, increasing the exploitability of this vulnerability across different system configurations and user environments.
The impact of this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which involves credential harvesting through social engineering and system manipulation. Organizations using affected versions of Synology Active Backup for Business should immediately implement the vendor-provided patch version 2.6.3-3101 to address the authentication gap. Additionally, system administrators should conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify any unauthorized local accounts that may have exploited this vulnerability. The remediation process should include verifying that all backup agents are updated to the latest secure versions and implementing proper access controls to limit local user privileges. Organizations should also monitor backup client logs for any unauthorized logout attempts that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining proper authentication controls for all critical system functions and demonstrates the potential for local privilege escalation through seemingly minor access control weaknesses in backup management systems.