CVE-2022-39018 : Security Advisory and Response

A detailed analysis of the CVE-2022-39018 vulnerability affecting M-Files Hubshare, involving broken access controls on PDFtron data allowing unauthorized access to restricted PDF files.

Understanding CVE-2022-39018

This section provides insights into the vulnerability, its impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies.

What is CVE-2022-39018?

The CVE-2022-39018 vulnerability in M-Files Hubshare before version 3.3.11.3 arises from broken access controls on PDFtron data, enabling unauthenticated attackers to bypass security measures and access restricted PDF documents via a known URL.

The Impact of CVE-2022-39018

The vulnerability's impact is rated as high severity with a CVSS base score of 8.2. Attackers can exploit this flaw to gain unauthorized access to sensitive PDF files, potentially compromising confidentiality and information integrity. The exploit involves exploiting incorrectly configured access control security levels (CAPEC-180).

Technical Details of CVE-2022-39018

This section delves into the vulnerability description, affected systems and versions, as well as the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability stems from inadequate access controls on PDFtron data in M-Files Hubshare versions prior to 3.3.11.3. This allows unauthenticated threat actors to retrieve restricted PDFs via a specific URL.

Affected Systems and Versions

M-Files Hubshare versions up to and including 3.3.11.3 are impacted by this vulnerability, exposing organizations utilizing these versions to unauthorized PDF access.

Exploitation Mechanism

By abusing the broken access controls in the PDFtron data, attackers can retrieve sensitive PDF files without proper authentication, potentially leading to data breaches and unauthorized information disclosure.

Mitigation and Prevention

In this section, we outline the immediate steps to take, long-term security practices, and the importance of applying patching and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Organizations are advised to upgrade M-Files Hubshare to version 3.3.11.3 or newer to mitigate the vulnerability. Additionally, restricting access to sensitive files and conducting security assessments can help prevent unauthorized access.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing robust access control mechanisms, regular security audits, and employee training on data protection best practices can enhance long-term security posture against similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Regularly applying security patches and updates provided by M-Files for Hubshare is crucial in addressing known vulnerabilities and improving the overall security resilience of the system.