CVE-2024-28987 in Web Help Desk
Summary
by MITRE • 08/22/2024
The SolarWinds Web Help Desk (WHD) software is affected by a hardcoded credential vulnerability, allowing remote unauthenticated user to access internal functionality and modify data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2024
The SolarWinds Web Help Desk software presents a critical security weakness through a hardcoded credential vulnerability that compromises the system's integrity and confidentiality. This flaw exists within the application's authentication mechanism where default or hard-coded credentials are embedded within the software code or configuration files, creating a persistent backdoor that remains active regardless of standard security measures. The vulnerability specifically affects the WHD software's internal administrative functions, enabling unauthorized access to sensitive operational data and system controls. The presence of hardcoded credentials represents a fundamental breach of security best practices and directly violates industry standards such as CWE-798, which categorizes the use of hardcoded credentials as a severe weakness that should never be present in production systems. This vulnerability allows attackers to gain access to the system without requiring valid user credentials or authentication mechanisms, effectively bypassing all normal security controls.
The technical implementation of this flaw involves the storage of administrative credentials within the application's source code, configuration files, or database schema in an unencrypted format. These hardcoded credentials typically remain unchanged throughout the software lifecycle, providing persistent access to system administrators and potentially malicious actors who can discover and exploit them. The vulnerability's remote accessibility means that attackers do not need physical access to the system or network to exploit it, making the attack surface significantly larger. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as the compromised credentials provide access to internal functionality that includes user management, system configuration changes, data modification capabilities, and potentially sensitive information stored within the help desk system. This remote unauthenticated access capability represents a severe privilege escalation vulnerability that can lead to complete system compromise and data breaches.
The operational impact of this vulnerability creates significant risks for organizations relying on SolarWinds Web Help Desk for their IT support operations. Attackers who exploit this vulnerability can modify critical system data, alter user permissions, inject malicious code, or exfiltrate sensitive information from the help desk database. The unauthorized modification capabilities directly violate data integrity principles and can result in system downtime, loss of service, or manipulation of support ticket information. Organizations may experience disruption to their IT support processes, potential exposure of confidential customer information, and compromise of their overall security posture. The vulnerability's persistence means that even after system updates or patches, if the hardcoded credentials remain in the codebase, the risk continues to exist. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which involves the exploitation of unpatched software vulnerabilities to gain initial access, and T1078, which covers legitimate credentials used for unauthorized access.
Organizations should immediately implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves identifying and removing any hardcoded credentials from the system configuration and source code, followed by implementing proper credential management practices that include regular credential rotation and secure storage mechanisms. System administrators should conduct comprehensive audits to identify all instances of hardcoded credentials within the WHD installation and related components. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit the potential impact of credential compromise, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unauthorized access attempts. Security patches provided by SolarWinds should be applied immediately, and organizations should consider implementing additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication or role-based access controls to reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and code reviews to identify similar issues within other applications and systems. Organizations should also implement continuous monitoring for unauthorized changes to system configurations and credential files, as hardcoded credentials often represent a persistent threat that requires ongoing vigilance and maintenance.