Veritas has addressed a privilege escalation vulnerability impacting its NetBackup software on Windows systems. This vulnerability, which affects NetBackup’s primary server, media server, and client components, exposes Windows-based NetBackup installations to potential privilege escalation attacks.
The vulnerability still didn’t have any CVE assigned, but has a CVSS score of 7.8, The attack stems on an attacker gaining write access to the root drive where NetBackup is installed. If a NetBackup user executes certain commands or is manipulated through social engineering tactics, the malicious DLL could be loaded, executing the attacker’s code within the user’s security context.
Veritas has outlined a broad spectrum of affected versions, including but not limited to:
- NetBackup Client, Primary Server, and Media Server Components on versions 10.4.0.1, 10.4, 10.3.0.1, 10.3, 10.2.0.1, 10.2, 10.1.1, 10.1, 10.0.0.1, and 10.0.** Older, unsupported versions may also be at risk.
To mitigate this vulnerability, Veritas has recommended two primary paths for remediation:
- Upgrade to NetBackup Version 10.5: This new release addresses the vulnerability.
- Apply Hotfixes for Supported Older Versions: Veritas advises upgrading to NetBackup Version 10.4.0.1 or 10.3.0.1 and applying the hotfix from Veritas’ download center to secure these installations.
If immediate upgrade is not possible, Veritas has offered an alternate mitigation method. Administrators are advised to:
- Create a directory named “bin” on the root drive where NetBackup is installed. For instance, if installed on the C: drive, a directory should be created at C:\bin.
- Restrict this directory’s access to administrative users only, preventing unauthorized write access that could enable the installation of malicious files.
For more details, refer to the blog
