CVE-2024-8774 in SIMPLE.ERP
Summary
by MITRE • 03/24/2025
The SIMPLE.ERP client stores superuser password in a recoverable format, allowing any authenticated SIMPLE.ERP user to escalate privileges to a database administrator.
This issue affect SIMPLE.ERP from 6.20 through 6.30. Only the 6.30 version received a patch [email protected], which removed the vulnerability. Versions 6.20 and 6.25 remain unpatched.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/24/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2024-8774 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within the SIMPLE.ERP client software ecosystem. This issue stems from the improper storage of superuser credentials in a recoverable format, creating a fundamental security weakness that directly undermines the system's access control mechanisms. The flaw affects versions 6.20 through 6.30 of the software, with the most recent version receiving a targeted patch while earlier iterations remain vulnerable. The implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple credential exposure, as it provides authenticated users with the means to assume administrative privileges within the database infrastructure. This type of vulnerability directly relates to CWE-312, which addresses the exposure of sensitive information through improper data handling and storage practices. The security implications are particularly severe because it enables a lateral movement attack pattern where ordinary users can escalate their privileges without requiring additional authentication factors or exploiting other system weaknesses.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a clear failure in secure credential management within the SIMPLE.ERP client. When superuser passwords are stored in recoverable formats, they become accessible to any user who can authenticate to the system, effectively eliminating the security boundary between regular user accounts and administrative access. This flaw operates at the application level and represents a classic case of insufficient access control enforcement, where the system fails to properly validate user privileges before granting access to administrative functions. The recoverable nature of the stored credentials means that attackers can potentially extract these values through various means including memory inspection, file system analysis, or network traffic interception. From an operational security perspective, this vulnerability creates an attack surface that allows for unauthorized privilege escalation without requiring additional attack vectors or complex exploitation techniques. The fact that only version 6.30 received a patch while 6.20 and 6.25 remain unpatched creates a persistent risk for organizations still operating legacy systems, as these versions continue to expose their database administrators to potential compromise. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers legitimate credentials and impersonation, and specifically targets the privilege escalation phase of the attack lifecycle.
Organizations utilizing SIMPLE.ERP versions 6.20 through 6.30 face significant operational risks due to this vulnerability, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of their database security posture. The ability for any authenticated user to escalate privileges creates a potential pathway for data exfiltration, system manipulation, and unauthorized access to sensitive information stored within the database. This vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system by allowing unauthorized access to administrative functions that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. The patch for version [email protected] addresses this by removing the vulnerable functionality, but organizations must ensure comprehensive remediation across their entire deployment. Security teams should conduct immediate assessments of their SIMPLE.ERP installations to identify affected versions and implement appropriate mitigations, including network segmentation, access controls, and monitoring for unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper credential lifecycle management and secure storage practices, as outlined in industry standards such as NIST SP 800-63B and ISO/IEC 27001, which emphasize the protection of privileged credentials and the implementation of least privilege access controls. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect suspicious privilege escalation activities that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.