CVE-2011-3609 in JBoss Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
A CSRF issue was found in JBoss Application Server 7 before 7.1.0. JBoss did not properly restrict access to the management console information (for example via the "Access-Control-Allow-Origin" HTTP access control flag). This can lead to unauthorized information leak if a user with admin privileges visits a specially-crafted web page provided by a remote attacker.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3609 represents a critical cross-site request forgery weakness within JBoss Application Server version 7.0.0 and earlier, specifically affecting the management console functionality. This flaw stems from inadequate implementation of access control mechanisms that should have prevented unauthorized access to administrative resources. The vulnerability manifests through improper handling of the Access-Control-Allow-Origin HTTP header, which is a crucial component in modern web security architectures designed to control cross-origin resource sharing. The absence of proper restrictions allows malicious actors to exploit the server's management interface through crafted web pages that can trick authenticated administrators into executing unintended actions. This issue directly impacts the principle of least privilege and proper authentication enforcement within the application server's security model.
The technical flaw occurs at the HTTP protocol level where JBoss Application Server fails to properly validate and enforce access control policies for management console resources. When an administrator with elevated privileges navigates to a malicious website, the server's insufficient implementation of CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) policies allows an attacker to inject requests that can access sensitive administrative information. The vulnerability specifically relates to the missing or improperly configured Access-Control-Allow-Origin header, which should have been set to restrict which origins can access management console endpoints. This misconfiguration creates a pathway for attackers to perform unauthorized operations through the administrator's authenticated session, effectively bypassing the server's intended access controls. The flaw can be categorized under CWE-346, which addresses "Improper Verification of Source of a Communication Channel" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for Valid Accounts and T1566 for Phishing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to encompass potential complete system compromise. An attacker who successfully exploits this CSRF vulnerability can gain unauthorized access to the management console, which typically provides full administrative control over the application server configuration, deployed applications, and underlying system resources. The unauthorized information leak can include sensitive configuration data, user credentials, application deployment details, and system status information that could be leveraged for further attacks. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage, making it highly exploitable in real-world scenarios. The attack vector combines social engineering with web application exploitation, where the administrator's authenticated session becomes the attack surface for unauthorized operations. This weakness can lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within network environments where the affected JBoss server operates.
The recommended mitigation strategies include immediate upgrade to JBoss Application Server version 7.1.0 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address the access control implementation flaws. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as enforcing strict CORS policies, configuring proper access control headers, and implementing web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious requests. The server configuration should be reviewed to ensure that management console endpoints are properly protected against cross-site requests and that access control mechanisms are properly enforced. Network segmentation and privilege separation should be implemented to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. Security administrators should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar access control weaknesses in other components of their infrastructure. The fix addresses the core issue by properly implementing the Access-Control-Allow-Origin header and ensuring that management console resources are protected against unauthorized cross-site access attempts, thereby restoring proper authentication and authorization controls within the application server's security architecture.