CVE-2004-0470 in WebLogic Server
Summary
by MITRE
BEA WebLogic Server and WebLogic Express 7.0 through SP5 and 8.1 through SP2, when editing weblogic.xml using WebLogic Builder or the SecurityRoleAssignmentMBean.toXML method, inadvertently removes security-role-assignment tags when weblogic.xml does not have a principal-name tag, which can remove intended access restrictions for the associated web application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2025
This vulnerability exists in BEA WebLogic Server and WebLogic Express versions 7.0 through SP5 and 8.1 through SP2 where the security configuration management process fails to properly handle weblogic.xml files lacking principal-name tags. The flaw manifests during the editing process through WebLogic Builder or the SecurityRoleAssignmentMBean.toXML method, where the system automatically strips away security-role-assignment tags from the configuration file. This behavior fundamentally alters the intended security posture of web applications by removing access restrictions that were explicitly defined by administrators, creating potential security gaps in the application's authorization framework.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability stems from improper XML processing logic within the WebLogic configuration management components. When the system encounters a weblogic.xml file that does not contain principal-name elements within security-role-assignment sections, it applies a removal algorithm that indiscriminately deletes these security tags. This process violates the principle of least privilege and can result in unauthorized users gaining access to resources that should be restricted to specific roles. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-264 as "Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls" and represents a failure in configuration management that directly impacts the security configuration integrity.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on WebLogic Server for mission-critical applications. Administrators who have carefully configured role-based access controls may find their security policies inadvertently disabled when using the WebLogic Builder tool or invoking the SecurityRoleAssignmentMBean.toXML method. This creates a false sense of security where applications appear to be properly secured but actually expose unintended access paths. The vulnerability can be exploited by attackers who understand the configuration behavior, potentially allowing them to escalate privileges or gain unauthorized access to protected resources within the web application.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations that include avoiding the use of WebLogic Builder for security configuration updates and instead employing direct XML editing techniques that preserve all security-role-assignment tags. Alternative approaches involve implementing additional validation checks before applying configuration changes and ensuring that all weblogic.xml files contain properly structured principal-name elements to prevent the automatic removal behavior. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and configuration management in enterprise security systems and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" through configuration weaknesses. Regular security audits and configuration reviews should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues in other application server components that may exhibit similar behaviors during XML processing operations.