CVE-2024-25960 in PowerScale OneFS
Summary
by MITRE • 03/28/2024
Dell PowerScale OneFS versions 8.2.2.x through 9.7.0.x contains a cleartext transmission of sensitive information vulnerability. A local low privileged attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability, leading to escalation of privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/09/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-25960 affects Dell PowerScale OneFS storage systems across versions 8.2.2.x through 9.7.0.x, representing a critical weakness in the system's security architecture that enables unauthorized access to sensitive data through cleartext transmission mechanisms. This flaw resides within the network communication protocols used by the storage platform, where sensitive information is transmitted without proper encryption, creating an exploitable vector for malicious actors within the network environment. The vulnerability specifically impacts the authentication and authorization processes that occur between system components, potentially allowing an attacker to intercept and decode sensitive credentials, session tokens, or other confidential data during transmission. The security implications extend beyond simple data exposure, as this weakness provides a pathway for privilege escalation attacks that can significantly compromise the overall security posture of the storage infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate cryptographic protection mechanisms within the OneFS operating system's communication stack, where certain administrative and user authentication processes rely on unencrypted data transmission protocols. This design flaw allows attackers to capture network traffic using standard packet sniffing tools and extract sensitive information that should normally be protected through secure communication channels. The cleartext transmission occurs during critical system operations including user authentication, configuration updates, and administrative commands that require secure data handling. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-312, which specifically addresses the exposure of sensitive information through cleartext transmission, making it a direct implementation of well-known security weaknesses that have been documented in numerous security frameworks and standards. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires only local access with low privilege levels, meaning that an attacker who has already gained basic system access can leverage this vulnerability to escalate their privileges and gain deeper control over the storage system.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-25960 extends far beyond simple credential theft, as the ability to intercept and manipulate sensitive communications creates multiple attack pathways that can lead to complete system compromise. A successful exploitation could enable an attacker to gain administrative access to the storage system, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system modification, or complete service disruption. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the entire storage environment, as sensitive information flows through the network without proper protection mechanisms. Organizations using affected Dell PowerScale systems face significant risk of unauthorized data access and potential compliance violations, particularly in regulated environments where data protection requirements are stringent. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that this vulnerability can be exploited by attackers with minimal privileges, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple users have access to the system. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques related to credential access and privilege escalation, specifically targeting the T1550.001 and T1068 attack patterns that focus on exploiting weak authentication mechanisms and leveraging existing access to gain higher privileges. The vulnerability also contributes to broader security failures that can enable lateral movement within network environments where the storage system is integrated with other enterprise services.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-25960 should prioritize immediate implementation of network segmentation and monitoring controls to detect potential exploitation attempts, while also preparing for the official security patches released by Dell. Organizations should implement network traffic analysis tools to monitor for cleartext data transmission patterns and establish baseline behaviors for normal system operations to identify anomalous activities. The implementation of secure communication protocols should be prioritized through configuration changes that enforce encrypted transmission for all sensitive data flows, even when operating within trusted network segments. System administrators should conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify all potential attack vectors related to cleartext transmission and establish incident response procedures specifically designed to address credential exposure scenarios. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing additional authentication controls and access restrictions to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts, while also ensuring that all system components are regularly updated with the latest security patches from Dell. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security configurations and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that protect against multiple attack vectors simultaneously, as the cleartext transmission issue can be compounded by other security weaknesses within the system architecture.