CVE-2024-23562: HCL Domino Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2024-23562 Overview

A security vulnerability in HCL Domino allows disclosure of sensitive configuration information. This information disclosure vulnerability enables a remote unauthenticated attacker to exploit the flaw and obtain sensitive system information that could be leveraged to launch further attacks against the affected system. The vulnerability affects multiple major versions of HCL Domino, making it a significant concern for enterprise environments relying on this collaboration platform.

Critical Impact

Remote unauthenticated attackers can extract sensitive configuration data from HCL Domino servers, potentially enabling reconnaissance for follow-on attacks against enterprise collaboration infrastructure.

Affected Products

• HCL Domino 11.0
• HCL Domino 12.0
• HCL Domino 14.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-07-08 - CVE-2024-23562 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-23562

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor), indicating that the HCL Domino server improperly exposes configuration information to remote attackers without requiring authentication. The flaw allows unauthenticated network-based access with no user interaction required, enabling attackers to retrieve confidential system configuration details.

The information disclosed could include server configuration parameters, internal network details, or other sensitive metadata that attackers can leverage for reconnaissance purposes. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where HCL Domino serves as a critical collaboration and email platform, as the exposed information could facilitate more sophisticated targeted attacks.

Root Cause

The root cause stems from improper access controls on sensitive configuration endpoints or resources within HCL Domino. The server fails to properly authenticate requests that access configuration information, allowing any remote attacker to retrieve data that should be restricted to authenticated administrators. This represents a failure in the application's authorization mechanisms when handling requests for sensitive system information.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no authentication, privileges, or user interaction. An attacker can remotely query the vulnerable HCL Domino server to extract sensitive configuration information. This information exposure can serve as a stepping stone for more advanced attacks by providing attackers with detailed knowledge about the target environment's configuration, potentially revealing internal architecture details, software versions, or other data useful for crafting targeted exploits.

The vulnerability is exploited by sending specially crafted requests to the HCL Domino server that trigger the information disclosure. Due to the unauthenticated nature of the flaw, any attacker with network access to the Domino server can potentially exploit this vulnerability without any prior credentials or special conditions.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-23562

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP requests targeting HCL Domino configuration endpoints from external IP addresses
• Increased volume of unauthenticated requests attempting to enumerate server information
• Log entries showing access to configuration-related resources without valid authentication
• Network traffic patterns indicating systematic probing of Domino server endpoints

Detection Strategies

• Monitor HCL Domino server logs for suspicious unauthenticated access patterns targeting configuration resources
• Implement network intrusion detection rules to identify reconnaissance-style requests against Domino servers
• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block requests attempting to access sensitive configuration endpoints
• Enable verbose logging on Domino servers to capture detailed request information for forensic analysis

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure alerting for anomalous access patterns to HCL Domino servers from untrusted networks
• Implement baseline monitoring of normal server request patterns to detect deviations that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Review Domino server access logs regularly for indicators of information harvesting activity
• Monitor for follow-on attack indicators that may leverage disclosed configuration data

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-23562

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the latest security patches from HCL for affected Domino versions immediately
• Review and restrict network access to HCL Domino servers using firewall rules
• Audit current server configurations to identify any potential exposure of sensitive information
• Implement network segmentation to limit attacker access to Domino infrastructure

Patch Information

HCL has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Administrators should consult the HCL Support Knowledge Base Article KB0116923 and HCL Support Knowledge Base Article KB0113822 for detailed patching instructions and version-specific guidance. Organizations running HCL Domino versions 11.0, 12.0, or 14.0 should prioritize applying these updates.

Workarounds

• Restrict network access to HCL Domino servers by implementing firewall rules that limit connections to trusted IP ranges only
• Deploy a reverse proxy or web application firewall in front of Domino servers to filter malicious requests
• Consider disabling or restricting access to non-essential Domino server endpoints until patches can be applied
• Implement network-level authentication requirements for accessing Domino server resources where possible

# Example: Restrict access to Domino server via iptables
# Allow only trusted network ranges to access Domino HTTP/HTTPS ports
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP