CVE-2012-0235 in WebAccess
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Advantech/BroadWin WebAccess before 7.0 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims via unknown vectors.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2017
The CVE-2012-0235 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in Advantech/BroadWin WebAccess software versions prior to 7.0. This vulnerability resides within the web-based management interface of industrial automation and building management systems, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on these platforms for critical infrastructure operations. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication handling mechanisms within the web access interface, potentially allowing unauthorized actors to perform actions on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent.
The technical nature of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-forgery token implementation within the web application's request processing flow. When users authenticate to the Advantech/BroadWin WebAccess interface, the system fails to validate the authenticity of requests originating from external sources. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or exploit existing web content to submit forged requests that appear to originate from legitimate authenticated sessions. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data theft, as it could potentially enable attackers to modify system configurations, access restricted functionalities, or perform administrative operations that compromise the entire industrial control environment.
This vulnerability operates at the application layer and directly impacts the integrity of the authentication process within the web-based interface. The unspecified victim vectors suggest that the flaw affects multiple user roles and access levels within the system, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges or access sensitive operational data. From an operational standpoint, the impact is particularly severe for industrial environments where WebAccess systems manage critical infrastructure components such as building automation, environmental monitoring, or process control systems. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that could remain undetected for extended periods, allowing attackers to maintain unauthorized access and potentially disrupt critical operations.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications. This classification indicates that the flaw represents a fundamental design issue in the application's session management and request validation mechanisms. Organizations utilizing Advantech/BroadWin WebAccess systems should consider implementing the mitigations recommended in the ATT&CK framework for web application attacks, particularly focusing on request validation and session integrity controls. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and anti-forgery token implementation in web applications, especially within industrial control systems where the consequences of unauthorized access can extend beyond traditional data breaches to include operational disruptions and safety risks.
The remediation approach for this vulnerability requires immediate software updates to version 7.0 or later, which should include proper CSRF token implementation and enhanced session management controls. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the WebAccess interfaces, deploy web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious requests, and conduct regular security assessments of their industrial control systems. Additionally, security awareness training for personnel managing these systems can help identify potential social engineering attempts that might exploit this vulnerability. The implementation of these defensive measures aligns with industry best practices for securing industrial control systems and protecting against advanced persistent threats that target operational technology environments.