CVE-2024-28993 in Access Rights Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 07/17/2024
The SolarWinds Access Rights Manager was susceptible to a Directory Traversal and Information Disclosure Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows an unauthenticated user to perform arbitrary file deletion and leak sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/22/2024
The SolarWinds Access Rights Manager vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-28993 represents a critical security flaw that exposes organizations to significant operational risks through directory traversal and information disclosure capabilities. This vulnerability specifically affects the Access Rights Manager component within the SolarWinds platform, which is designed to manage and control access permissions across enterprise environments. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and path handling mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data, creating opportunities for malicious actors to manipulate file system access patterns. Security researchers have identified that this vulnerability exists in multiple versions of the SolarWinds Access Rights Manager, making it a widespread concern for organizations that have deployed this solution. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-22 indicates a direct path traversal weakness where attackers can exploit improper validation of file paths to access restricted directories and files.
The technical exploitation of CVE-2024-28993 enables unauthenticated attackers to perform arbitrary file deletion operations and extract sensitive information from the affected system. Attackers can leverage directory traversal techniques to navigate beyond the intended directory boundaries and access configuration files, user credentials, system logs, and other confidential data that should remain protected. The vulnerability allows for both read and write operations, meaning threat actors can not only extract information but also delete critical files, potentially disrupting system operations and compromising the integrity of access control policies. This dual capability significantly amplifies the potential impact of exploitation, as it provides attackers with both reconnaissance capabilities and destructive potential. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by anyone with network access to the affected system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond immediate data exposure to encompass broader security implications for enterprise environments that rely on SolarWinds Access Rights Manager for access control. Organizations may face regulatory compliance violations, data breaches, and potential compromise of privileged accounts when this vulnerability is exploited. The information disclosure aspect can reveal system configurations, user account details, and access control rules that provide attackers with valuable intelligence for further attacks. The arbitrary file deletion capability poses risks to system stability and availability, potentially leading to service disruption and requiring extensive recovery efforts. Security teams may also face increased forensic burden as compromised systems require thorough investigation to determine the scope of data exposure and attack vectors used. The vulnerability's presence in widely deployed software solutions means that the potential attack surface is extensive, affecting numerous organizations across various industries.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-28993 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from SolarWinds, as the vendor has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the affected system and restrict unnecessary network exposure. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous file access patterns and potential exploitation attempts. Access controls should be reviewed and strengthened to ensure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive system components. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in other system components. The implementation of web application firewalls and input validation controls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Organizations should also consider implementing privileged access management solutions to reduce the potential impact of credential exposure. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1566 (Phishing) as attackers may use the disclosed information to craft targeted attacks, while T1078 (Valid Accounts) could be leveraged for persistence once initial access is gained. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and secure coding practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks.