CVE-2024-23571 in Aftermarket EPC
Summary
by MITRE • 07/17/2026
HCL Aftermarket EPC is vulnerable to attack since the application does not have an appropriate caching policy specifying the extent to which the page and its form fields should be cached. If sensitive information in application responses is stored in the local cache, then this may be retrieved by other users who have access to the same computer at a future time.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/17/2026
The vulnerability in HCL Aftermarket EPC stems from inadequate caching controls within the application's HTTP response headers, creating a significant security risk for sensitive data exposure. This weakness represents a failure to implement proper cache control mechanisms that should prevent sensitive information from being stored in local browser caches or intermediate proxies. The absence of appropriate cache policies such as 'no-cache', 'no-store', or 'private' directives allows potentially sensitive form fields and application responses to be cached locally on the user's device, creating a persistent data exposure risk.
The technical flaw manifests through the lack of explicit cache control instructions in HTTP response headers, which directly violates established web security best practices and standards such as those outlined in CWE-524. When sensitive information flows through the application's interface and gets cached without proper protection mechanisms, subsequent users who access the same device can potentially retrieve this cached data through browser history, cache inspection tools, or direct cache access methods. This vulnerability specifically impacts the confidentiality aspect of the application's security posture by enabling unauthorized data recovery across user sessions on shared or compromised systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure to encompass broader security implications for organizations relying on HCL Aftermarket EPC for business-critical operations. Attackers with physical access to a device where cached sensitive information exists can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to confidential business data, user credentials, or proprietary information without requiring network-based attacks or complex exploitation techniques. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users share computing resources or where devices may be lost, stolen, or accessed by unauthorized individuals.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive cache control policies across all application responses containing sensitive information, including specific HTTP headers such as Cache-Control: no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate and Pragma: no-cache. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security measures such as proper session management, secure cookie attributes, and regular security testing to identify and remediate similar caching vulnerabilities throughout the application stack. The implementation of these controls aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 which focuses on tampering with software dependencies and applications, as proper cache control represents a fundamental security configuration that must be maintained to prevent unauthorized data access through application-level vulnerabilities.