CVE-2023-6218 : Security Advisory and Response

This CVE involves a privilege escalation vulnerability identified in Progress MOVEit Transfer versions released before 2022.0.9, 2022.1.10, 2023.0.7. This vulnerability allows a group administrator to elevate a group member's permissions to the role of an organization administrator.

Understanding CVE-2023-6218

Progress MOVEit Transfer, a product of Progress Software Corporation, is affected by a privilege escalation issue that impacts versions prior to specific releases.

What is CVE-2023-6218?

The vulnerability in Progress MOVEit Transfer versions allows a group administrator to escalate a group member's permissions to that of an organization administrator. This unauthorized elevation of privileges poses a significant security risk.

The Impact of CVE-2023-6218

The impact of this vulnerability is rated as high, with a CVSS base score of 7.2. It can lead to unauthorized access, data compromise, and potential disruption of services due to the privilege escalation path available to group administrators.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-6218

This section provides an overview of the vulnerability details, affected systems, and exploitation mechanisms.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-269 - Improper Privilege Management, allowing unauthorized elevation of permissions within the Progress MOVEit Transfer platform.

Affected Systems and Versions

Progress MOVEit Transfer versions before 2022.0.9, 2022.1.10, and 2023.0.7 are affected by this privilege escalation issue, making users of these versions vulnerable to exploitation.

Exploitation Mechanism

The privilege escalation path associated with group administrators enables them to grant elevated privileges to group members beyond their intended permissions, potentially leading to unauthorized access and misuse.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2023-6218, it is crucial to take immediate remediation steps, adopt long-term security practices, and apply necessary patches and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Affected users should update Progress MOVEit Transfer to versions beyond the identified vulnerable releases, implement access controls, and monitor administrator actions to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Organizations should regularly review and update their access control mechanisms, conduct security training for administrators, and enforce the principle of least privilege to minimize the impact of privilege escalation vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Progress Software Corporation has released patches addressing the privilege escalation vulnerability in newer versions of MOVEit Transfer. It is essential for users to promptly apply these patches to mitigate the risk of exploitation and strengthen the security of their systems.