CVE-2024-24902 in RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines
Summary
by MITRE • 12/13/2024
Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines 6.0.x contains an Improper access control vulnerability. A low privileged local attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability leading to gaining access to unauthorized data for a limited time.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-24902 affects Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines version 6.0.x and represents a critical weakness in the system's access control mechanisms. This issue stems from improper implementation of security controls that fail to adequately validate user privileges before granting access to sensitive resources. The flaw exists within the software's authorization framework where insufficient validation checks allow unauthorized users to potentially access restricted data and functionality. The vulnerability specifically impacts the local attack surface, meaning that exploitation requires physical or logical access to the system but does not necessitate network-based compromise. Security researchers have classified this as a low privilege escalation vulnerability due to the limited scope of data exposure and temporal nature of the access granted. The weakness creates an opportunity for malicious actors who already possess basic user credentials to escalate their privileges and gain access to unauthorized data within the virtual machine recovery environment.
The technical implementation of this access control flaw manifests through inadequate validation of user permissions during critical system operations within the RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines platform. The system fails to properly enforce mandatory access controls that should restrict data access based on user roles and entitlements. This vulnerability can be exploited through local system access where an attacker with minimal privileges can manipulate system calls or API interfaces to bypass normal authorization checks. The improper access control mechanism likely stems from weak input validation, insufficient session management, or flawed privilege checking routines within the software's core components. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-285 which describes improper authorization scenarios in software systems. The flaw essentially allows for unauthorized information access that could potentially expose sensitive virtual machine data, recovery point configurations, or backup metadata. The temporal nature of the access suggests that the vulnerability may only provide temporary access before system checks or session timeouts occur, but this limited duration does not mitigate the security risk posed by the unauthorized data exposure.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-24902 extends beyond simple unauthorized data access to potentially compromise the integrity and confidentiality of virtual machine recovery operations. Organizations using Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines 6.0.x face significant risk of data leakage from their backup and recovery environments, which could contain sensitive information from multiple virtual machines. The vulnerability creates potential for data exfiltration where an attacker could access recovery point data, virtual machine configurations, or backup metadata that might contain system credentials, application data, or business-critical information. This weakness particularly impacts disaster recovery and business continuity operations since the compromised system could be used to gain access to backup data that organizations rely upon for recovery operations. The local attack vector means that physical security controls become critical, as any user with local access could potentially exploit this vulnerability. Organizations may experience regulatory compliance issues if sensitive data is accessed through this vulnerability, particularly in environments governed by standards such as iso 27001, pci dss, or hipaa where unauthorized access to backup systems could constitute security breaches requiring incident reporting and remediation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-24902 should prioritize immediate patch management and access control hardening within Dell RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines environments. Organizations must apply the vendor-provided security updates as soon as they become available to address the underlying access control implementation flaws. System administrators should implement additional security controls such as restricting local system access, implementing strong authentication mechanisms, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. The principle of least privilege should be enforced across all user accounts and system services to minimize the potential impact of credential compromise. Network segmentation and access control lists should be implemented to limit local access to critical systems where the vulnerability exists. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious access patterns or unauthorized data access attempts within the virtual machine recovery environment. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, making it important for organizations to implement comprehensive monitoring for these attack patterns. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar access control weaknesses in other systems within the organization's infrastructure. System hardening measures including disabling unnecessary services, implementing secure configuration baselines, and maintaining detailed audit logs of system access activities should be implemented as part of the overall remediation strategy. Organizations should also consider implementing data loss prevention controls specifically targeting backup and recovery environments to protect against unauthorized access to sensitive virtual machine data.