CVE-2024-34012 in Cloud Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 06/14/2024
Local privilege escalation due to insecure folder permissions. The following products are affected: Acronis Cloud Manager (Windows) before build 6.2.24135.272.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-34012 represents a critical local privilege escalation flaw within Acronis Cloud Manager for Windows platforms. This security weakness stems from inadequate folder permission configurations that allow unauthorized local users to elevate their privileges and gain administrative access to the system. The affected version range includes all builds prior to 6.2.24135.272, indicating a widespread issue affecting multiple installations of the Acronis Cloud Manager software. The vulnerability specifically targets the Windows operating system environment where the application is deployed, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments that rely on Acronis solutions for backup and recovery operations.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper implementation of access controls and permission models within the Acronis Cloud Manager application. When the software creates or manages specific folder structures on the Windows file system, it fails to properly restrict write and execute permissions for user accounts that should not possess administrative capabilities. This misconfiguration creates a path where a local attacker with standard user privileges can manipulate files or directories within the application's installation or data folders. The flaw typically manifests through directory traversal techniques or by exploiting weak permission settings that allow modification of critical system files or registry entries. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-276, which specifically addresses incorrect permissions for system resources, making it a direct implementation of improper access control weaknesses.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-34012 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to potentially compromise entire enterprise environments where Acronis Cloud Manager is deployed. Once an attacker successfully elevates privileges, they can execute arbitrary code, modify system configurations, access sensitive data, or establish persistent backdoors within the affected systems. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where the Acronis Cloud Manager runs with elevated privileges or where it manages critical backup and recovery operations. The threat landscape for this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation through the exploitation of system vulnerabilities. Organizations running vulnerable versions of Acronis Cloud Manager face significant risk of data breaches, system compromise, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure, as the elevated privileges could be leveraged to access other systems or applications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-34012 should prioritize immediate software updates to version 6.2.24135.272 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the insecure folder permissions issue. System administrators should conduct thorough audits of existing Acronis Cloud Manager installations to identify all affected systems and implement the update process across all vulnerable environments. Additionally, organizations should review and strengthen the permission settings for all folders associated with the Acronis Cloud Manager application, ensuring that appropriate least privilege principles are enforced. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be implemented to detect any suspicious activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning procedures to identify similar permission-related issues in other enterprise applications. Organizations should consider implementing privileged access management solutions to reduce the attack surface and prevent unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. Security teams should also monitor threat intelligence feeds for any reported exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability, as the combination of its exploitability and the widespread use of Acronis products makes it a potentially attractive target for cybercriminals.