CVE-2022-22553
📋 TL;DR
Dell EMC AppSync versions 3.9 to 4.3 have an authentication rate limiting vulnerability that allows adjacent unauthenticated attackers to perform password brute-force attacks. This affects organizations using these AppSync versions, potentially leading to account takeover if weak passwords are used.
💻 Affected Systems
- Dell EMC AppSync
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete account takeover of AppSync administrative accounts, leading to data exposure, backup manipulation, and potential lateral movement within the environment.
Likely Case
Successful brute-force of accounts with weak passwords, resulting in unauthorized access to AppSync management functions and backup data.
If Mitigated
Limited impact due to strong password policies and network segmentation preventing adjacent network access.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires only standard brute-force tools and adjacent network access. No special skills needed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 4.3.1 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/000195377
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download AppSync version 4.3.1 or later from Dell support site. 2. Backup current configuration. 3. Install the update following Dell's upgrade documentation. 4. Restart AppSync services.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allRestrict access to AppSync management interfaces to authorized administrative networks only
Strong Password Enforcement
allEnforce complex passwords with minimum 12 characters, preventing brute-force success
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit AppSync interface access to trusted IPs only
- Enable account lockout policies and monitor for failed authentication attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check AppSync version via web interface or CLI. If version is between 3.9 and 4.3 inclusive, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Check web interface login page or use AppSync CLI 'appsync version' commandVerify Fix Applied:
Verify AppSync version is 4.3.1 or later. Test authentication rate limiting by attempting multiple failed logins.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple failed authentication attempts from single source IP
- Successful login after many failed attempts
Network Indicators:
- High volume of authentication requests to AppSync ports
- Brute-force tool patterns in network traffic
SIEM Query:
source="appsync" AND (event_type="authentication_failure" count>10 within 5min) OR (event_type="authentication_success" AFTER multiple failures)