CVE-2024-45443 in HarmonyOS
Summary
by MITRE • 09/04/2024
Directory traversal vulnerability in the cust module Impact: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability will affect availability and confidentiality.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/07/2024
The directory traversal vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-45443 resides within the cust module of a targeted system, representing a critical security flaw that undermines fundamental data protection principles. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-22 category, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. The flaw enables malicious actors to access files and directories outside the intended scope of the application's file system access controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the cust module's file handling processes. When the system processes user-supplied input containing directory traversal sequences such as '../' or '..\\', the application fails to properly sanitize or validate these inputs before using them in file system operations. This weakness allows attackers to craft malicious requests that can navigate through the file system hierarchy and access sensitive data that should remain restricted to authorized users only.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure to encompass significant availability concerns that can severely disrupt system operations. Successful exploitation can result in unauthorized access to confidential information including but not limited to user credentials, system configurations, application source code, and sensitive business data. The confidentiality breach occurs when attackers can read files that are normally protected by access controls, potentially leading to data exfiltration and intellectual property theft. Additionally, the availability impact manifests when attackers can manipulate or delete critical system files, potentially causing system downtime or complete service disruption.
The attack surface for this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083, which focuses on discovering system information through directory listing and file access operations. Security professionals should note that this vulnerability can be leveraged as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks, potentially enabling privilege escalation or lateral movement within compromised networks. The exploitation typically requires minimal technical expertise, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by threat actors across varying skill levels.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate implementation of input validation and sanitization measures within the cust module. The recommended approach involves implementing strict path validation that rejects any input containing directory traversal sequences, utilizing allowlist validation for file system operations, and employing proper access controls that enforce the principle of least privilege. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within other system components. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems that can monitor for and block suspicious directory traversal patterns. The remediation process must include thorough code review of the cust module and related components, followed by comprehensive testing to ensure that the fix does not introduce new functionality issues while effectively addressing the path traversal vulnerability.