CVE-2009-1055 in Sitecore
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the web service in Sitecore CMS 5.3.1 rev. 071114 allows remote authenticated users to gain access to security databases, and obtain administrative and user credentials, via unknown vectors related to SOAP and XML requests.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/31/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-1055 represents a critical security flaw within the Sitecore Content Management System version 5.3.1 build 071114. This issue resides within the web service component of the platform and affects authenticated users who can leverage specific SOAP and XML request vectors to access sensitive security databases. The unspecified nature of the exact attack vectors makes this vulnerability particularly concerning as it could potentially encompass multiple exploitation pathways that attackers might discover and utilize.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control mechanisms within Sitecore's web service layer. When authenticated users submit SOAP requests containing malformed XML data, the system fails to properly sanitize or validate these inputs before processing them against the underlying security database structures. This weakness creates an avenue for privilege escalation where legitimate authenticated users can manipulate their session permissions to access administrative functions and retrieve user credential information that should remain restricted to authorized personnel only. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the authentication and authorization mechanisms that govern database access within the Sitecore environment.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations utilizing Sitecore CMS 5.3.1. Successful exploitation could result in complete compromise of user authentication systems, allowing attackers to obtain administrative credentials and potentially gain full control over the content management platform. The exposure of security databases means that attacker could access not only user accounts but also sensitive configuration data, content permissions, and potentially other interconnected systems that rely on Sitecore's authentication framework. This compromise extends beyond simple credential theft to include potential data exfiltration, content manipulation, and service disruption that could severely impact business operations and customer trust.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches or updates that address the specific input validation and access control weaknesses. Network segmentation and monitoring of SOAP and XML traffic should be enhanced to detect anomalous requests that might indicate exploitation attempts. Access controls should be reviewed and strengthened to ensure principle of least privilege is maintained, particularly for users who require administrative access to the web service components. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and input validation controls can help prevent malformed XML requests from reaching the vulnerable components. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which addresses "Improper Input Validation," and could be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for spearphishing with a link, as attackers might leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to sensitive systems. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the Sitecore platform and ensure comprehensive protection against similar attack vectors.