CVE-2023-34060 : What You Need to Know

This article provides details about CVE-2023-34060, an authentication bypass vulnerability found in VMware Cloud Director Appliance.

Understanding CVE-2023-34060

CVE-2023-34060 is an authentication bypass vulnerability identified in VMware Cloud Director Appliance, specifically affecting version 10.5 when upgraded from older versions.

What is CVE-2023-34060?

VMware Cloud Director Appliance has an authentication bypass vulnerability if upgraded to version 10.5 from an older version. This vulnerability allows a malicious actor with network access to bypass login restrictions on specific ports.

The Impact of CVE-2023-34060

The vulnerability enables unauthorized access to VMware Cloud Director Appliance 10.5 when authenticating on port 22 (ssh) or port 5480 (appliance management console). However, the bypass is not present on port 443 (VCD provider and tenant login). New installations of version 10.5 are not affected by the bypass.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-34060

The vulnerability arises due to the use of an affected version of sssd in the underlying Photon OS. This issue is resolved in newer versions of Photon OS, starting from sssd-2.8.1-11 for Photon OS 3 and sssd-2.8.2-9 for Photon OS 4 and 5.

Vulnerability Description

The authentication bypass vulnerability in VMware Cloud Director Appliance allows unauthorized access to the appliance if upgraded from older versions to version 10.5.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability impacts VMware Cloud Director Appliance version 10.5 specifically if it was upgraded from 10.4.x or below.

Exploitation Mechanism

Malicious actors with network access can exploit the vulnerability to bypass login restrictions on certain ports, compromising the security of the appliance.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-34060, immediate steps should be taken to secure the VMware Cloud Director Appliance and prevent unauthorized access.

Immediate Steps to Take

Ensure that proper security measures are in place to restrict unauthorized access to the appliance. Consider upgrading to newer versions of Photon OS to eliminate the sssd issue.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement regular security updates and patches to keep the system secure from known vulnerabilities. Conduct security audits and monitoring to identify and address potential threats.

Patching and Updates

Apply the necessary patches and updates provided by VMware to mitigate the authentication bypass vulnerability in VMware Cloud Director Appliance.