CVE-2012-1860 in SharePoint
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 SP2 and SP3, SharePoint Server 2010 Gold and SP1, and Office Web Apps 2010 Gold and SP1 do not properly check permissions for search scopes, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information or cause a denial of service (data modification) by changing a parameter in a search-scope URL, aka "SharePoint Search Scope Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/26/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1860 represents a critical permission bypass issue within Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and 2010, as well as Office Web Apps 2010. This flaw stems from insufficient validation of user permissions when processing search scope parameters, creating a pathway for authenticated attackers to exploit the system's search functionality. The vulnerability specifically affects organizations running SharePoint Server 2007 Service Pack 2 and Service Pack 3, SharePoint Server 2010 Gold and Service Pack 1, and Office Web Apps 2010 Gold and Service Pack 1 versions. The issue manifests when users manipulate search scope URLs by altering specific parameters, which should normally be restricted based on user access levels and permissions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the improper handling of search scope identifiers within SharePoint's search infrastructure. When a user performs a search operation, the system should validate whether the requesting user has appropriate permissions to access the specified search scope. However, the flaw allows attackers to modify URL parameters that control search scope boundaries, effectively bypassing these permission checks. This misconfiguration enables unauthorized access to content that should be restricted to specific user groups or roles, potentially exposing sensitive corporate data, confidential documents, or restricted information repositories. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires authentication, meaning that only users who have already established valid credentials can exploit this weakness, though it does not require elevated privileges beyond standard user access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to include potential data modification capabilities and denial of service conditions. Attackers can leverage this weakness to access restricted search scopes containing sensitive information, potentially leading to data breaches or corporate espionage. The vulnerability also enables attackers to cause denial of service by manipulating search scope parameters in ways that could crash search services or render search functionality unavailable to legitimate users. From a security compliance perspective, this vulnerability violates fundamental principles of information access control and privilege separation, potentially compromising organizations' adherence to regulatory requirements such as those outlined in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001 standards. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential access through manipulation of application interfaces.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-1860 should prioritize immediate implementation of Microsoft security patches and updates for the affected SharePoint versions. Organizations must ensure that all systems running the vulnerable software receive the appropriate security updates from Microsoft, which typically include enhanced permission validation for search scope parameters. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit the attack surface, particularly focusing on restricting direct access to SharePoint search functionality from untrusted networks. Additionally, administrators should implement comprehensive monitoring of search activity and access patterns to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to verify that the implemented mitigations are effective and to identify potential additional vulnerabilities within the SharePoint environment. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as web application firewalls and enhanced logging mechanisms to provide better visibility into search scope parameter manipulation attempts. The vulnerability's exploitation potential makes it crucial for organizations to maintain up-to-date security patches and to implement layered defense strategies that reduce the overall risk exposure.