CVE-2010-5191 in ProxyAV
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities on the Blue Coat ProxyAV appliance before 3.2.6.1 allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that (1) change a password, (2) modify a policy, or (3) restart the device.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2021
The CVE-2010-5191 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery issue affecting the Blue Coat ProxyAV appliance version 3.2.6.0 and earlier. This vulnerability resides in the web-based administrative interface of the proxy appliance, which serves as a network security device designed to filter and monitor web traffic. The flaw stems from the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms in the affected software, creating a significant security gap that allows remote attackers to manipulate administrative functions without legitimate authentication. The vulnerability specifically impacts three critical administrative operations that could severely compromise the security posture of the network.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the fundamental weakness in how the ProxyAV appliance handles web requests from authenticated administrators. When an administrator accesses the web interface, the system relies on session cookies for authentication validation, but fails to implement anti-CSRF tokens or similar protective measures in the affected versions. This design flaw enables attackers to craft malicious web pages or exploit existing network traffic that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically executes administrative commands. The three specific attack vectors involve password modification, policy configuration changes, and device restart operations, all of which represent high-impact actions that could fundamentally alter the appliance's security configuration.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a severe risk landscape for organizations relying on Blue Coat ProxyAV appliances for network security. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain complete administrative control over the device, potentially leading to unauthorized access to network traffic monitoring capabilities, modification of security policies to allow malicious traffic, or complete disruption of network services through device restarts. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not require physical access to the device or network presence, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such appliances are often deployed at network perimeters.
The security implications extend beyond immediate administrative compromise to encompass broader network security implications. Organizations using vulnerable ProxyAV appliances face risks of data exfiltration, network traffic manipulation, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications, and corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for Valid Accounts and T1566.001 for Phishing, as attackers could leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and maintain persistent access to network resources. The affected administrative functions represent critical attack surfaces that could enable comprehensive compromise of the appliance's security capabilities.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Blue Coat ProxyAV version 3.2.6.1 or later, which contains the necessary CSRF protection patches. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit administrative access to the appliance, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual administrative activities. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potential CSRF vulnerabilities in similar network security devices and ensure that all web-based administrative interfaces implement proper anti-CSRF protections. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of CSRF protection in web applications and the necessity of regular security updates for network security infrastructure components.