CVE-2024-23551 in BigFix Compliance
Summary
by MITRE • 05/08/2024
Database scanning using username and password stores the credentials in plaintext or encoded format within files at the endpoint. This has been identified as a significant security risk. This will lead to exposure of sensitive information for unauthorized access, potentially leading to severe consequences such as data breaches, unauthorized data manipulation, and compromised system integrity.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/31/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical weakness in credential storage practices that directly violates fundamental security principles outlined in cwe-259 and cwe-312. The flaw occurs when database scanning operations that require username and password authentication persist these credentials in plaintext or easily reversible encoded formats within endpoint files. This design oversight creates an inherent risk that aligns with attack techniques described in the attack framework under credential access and persistence phases. The vulnerability essentially transforms legitimate authentication mechanisms into attack vectors through improper credential handling.
The technical implementation of this flaw demonstrates a failure in secure credential management at the application level where authentication tokens and database access credentials are stored without adequate encryption or obfuscation. This pattern of storing credentials in accessible file locations creates multiple attack surface opportunities that adversaries can exploit through various methods including direct file system access, privilege escalation, or lateral movement techniques. The vulnerability directly enables unauthorized access to database resources and represents a classic example of poor input validation and output encoding practices that have been documented in numerous security incidents.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure to encompass potential system compromise and data breach scenarios. When credentials are stored in plaintext or easily reversible formats, attackers who gain access to the endpoint files can immediately leverage these credentials to access database systems, potentially leading to unauthorized data manipulation, information disclosure, and system integrity compromise. This vulnerability can be exploited across multiple attack vectors including local privilege escalation, network-based attacks, and insider threat scenarios, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where database access often provides broad system privileges.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future implementations. Organizations should implement proper credential management solutions that utilize encrypted storage mechanisms, secure key management systems, and automated credential rotation processes. The implementation of industry standards such as those outlined in nist 800-63b and iso 27001 provides comprehensive frameworks for secure credential handling that directly address the root causes of this vulnerability. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be implemented to identify and remediate similar credential storage issues throughout the application lifecycle, ensuring compliance with established security frameworks and reducing the attack surface for potential adversaries.