CVE-2024-11176 identifies an improper access control vulnerability in M-Files Aino, a document management and information management platform developed by M-Files Corporation. The vulnerability exists in versions prior to 24.10 and arises from incorrect evaluation of effective permissions when an authenticated user attempts to access object information. Specifically, the system fails to properly enforce authorization checks, allowing users with valid credentials but insufficient privileges to view or retrieve object data they should not have access to. This issue is categorized under CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization) and CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment), indicating a fundamental flaw in permission validation logic. The vulnerability does not require elevated privileges beyond authentication, nor does it require user interaction, making exploitation relatively straightforward for authenticated users. The CVSS 4.0 base score of 5.3 reflects a medium severity, driven by network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required beyond authentication, and no user interaction needed. Although no public exploits or active exploitation have been reported, the vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized data disclosure within affected environments. M-Files Aino is used primarily in enterprise settings for managing sensitive documents and workflows, so unauthorized access could lead to exposure of confidential business information. The vulnerability was reserved on 2024-11-13 and published on 2024-11-20, with no patches currently linked, indicating that remediation is pending or in progress.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-11176 is unauthorized disclosure of sensitive object information within M-Files Aino environments. This can lead to confidentiality breaches, exposing proprietary or sensitive business data to users who should not have access. While the vulnerability does not allow privilege escalation or direct system compromise, unauthorized data access can facilitate further attacks, insider threats, or compliance violations. Organizations relying on M-Files Aino for document management may face risks to intellectual property, customer data, or internal communications. The medium severity score reflects a moderate risk level, but the impact can be significant depending on the sensitivity of the exposed data. Since exploitation requires authentication, the threat is limited to insiders or compromised accounts, but this does not eliminate the risk of lateral movement or insider misuse. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the vulnerability should be addressed promptly to prevent future exploitation. Industries with high regulatory requirements or sensitive data handling, such as finance, healthcare, and government, may experience more severe consequences if this vulnerability is exploited.

To mitigate CVE-2024-11176, organizations should: 1) Monitor M-Files Corporation communications closely for official patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. 2) Review and tighten access control policies within M-Files Aino, ensuring that permission assignments follow the principle of least privilege and that effective permissions are audited regularly. 3) Implement strong authentication mechanisms and monitor user activity logs to detect anomalous access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. 4) Conduct internal security assessments or penetration tests focusing on authorization controls in M-Files Aino deployments to identify and remediate potential weaknesses. 5) Educate users about the importance of safeguarding credentials to reduce the risk of account compromise, as exploitation requires authenticated access. 6) Consider network segmentation or additional access restrictions around M-Files Aino servers to limit exposure to only trusted users and systems. 7) Employ data loss prevention (DLP) tools to monitor and control sensitive data access and exfiltration within the environment. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on compensating controls and proactive monitoring until a patch is available.