CVE-2024-56178 in Couchbase
Summary
by MITRE • 01/28/2025
An issue was discovered in Couchbase Server 7.6.x through 7.6.3. A user with the security_admin_local role can create a new user in a group that has the admin role.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/23/2025
This vulnerability exists within Couchbase Server version 7.6.x through 7.6.3 where a user possessing the security_admin_local role can escalate privileges by creating new users within groups that already hold the admin role. The flaw represents a critical access control weakness that undermines the principle of least privilege and role-based access control mechanisms inherent in the database system. The security_admin_local role is designed to manage local security configurations, yet this vulnerability allows for unauthorized privilege escalation through improper group membership validation during user creation processes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of group assignments when new users are created through the security_admin_local role. When a user with this specific role attempts to create a new user account, the system fails to properly enforce the security boundaries that should prevent privilege delegation to administrative groups. This represents a direct violation of the CWE-284 access control principle where improper access control allows users to gain elevated privileges through legitimate system functions. The vulnerability manifests as a privilege escalation vector that bypasses the intended security boundaries between different administrative roles.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows malicious actors or compromised accounts with the security_admin_local role to effectively gain full administrative access to the Couchbase cluster. This creates a significant risk for organizations relying on Couchbase Server for critical data storage and management. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to create administrator accounts, gain complete control over database operations, modify security policies, and potentially access sensitive data that should be protected from unauthorized access. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where security_admin_local accounts are used for routine maintenance tasks, as these accounts could be exploited to establish persistent administrative access.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected Couchbase Server versions to 7.6.4 or later where this vulnerability has been addressed. Organizations should also implement strict monitoring of user creation activities and group membership changes for accounts with security_admin_local privileges. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by limiting the scope of security_admin_local role usage and ensuring that only trusted administrators have access to these elevated permissions. Additionally, implementing comprehensive audit logging of all user creation and group assignment activities will help detect unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers legitimate credentials and privilege escalation, and represents a critical security gap that requires immediate remediation to maintain the integrity of database access controls.