CVE-2012-2602 in Orion Network Performance Monitor
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in SolarWinds Orion Network Performance Monitor (NPM) before 10.3.1 allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that (1) create user accounts via CreateUserStepContainer actions to Admin/Accounts/Add/OrionAccount.aspx or (2) modify account privileges via a ynAdminRights action to Admin/Accounts/EditAccount.aspx.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2024
The CVE-2012-2602 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in SolarWinds Orion Network Performance Monitor versions prior to 10.3.1. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and exploits the absence of proper anti-CSRF mechanisms within the web application's administrative interfaces. The flaw specifically affects the authentication and authorization subsystems of the NPM platform, creating a pathway for remote attackers to execute unauthorized administrative actions without legitimate credentials. The vulnerability is particularly concerning as it targets the most privileged administrative functions within the network monitoring solution, potentially allowing attackers to gain complete control over the monitored network infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the lack of anti-CSRF tokens or similar validation mechanisms in the targeted administrative endpoints. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or exploit existing web applications that interact with the NPM interface to perform unauthorized actions. The vulnerability manifests in two primary attack vectors: first, through CreateUserStepContainer actions that can create new user accounts on the Admin/Accounts/Add/OrionAccount.aspx page, and second, through ynAdminRights actions that modify existing account privileges on the Admin/Accounts/EditAccount.aspx page. These attack vectors directly compromise the principle of least privilege and enable attackers to establish persistent access to the administrative interface. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses, and represents a classic example of how insufficient input validation and lack of proper session management can create critical security holes.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of organizations relying on SolarWinds NPM for network monitoring. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can create new administrator accounts with full privileges, modify existing user permissions, and potentially escalate their access to other network resources. This capability directly violates the principle of authentication and authorization, allowing attackers to bypass the intended security controls. The vulnerability affects the integrity and availability of the network monitoring system, as attackers can modify critical account configurations and potentially establish backdoors for persistent access. Organizations may face significant operational disruption if attackers use this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to critical network infrastructure monitoring data and control mechanisms, potentially leading to data exfiltration, network disruption, or further lateral movement within the organization's network.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-2602 require immediate implementation of the vendor-provided security patches and updates to SolarWinds Orion NPM version 10.3.1 or later. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures including the deployment of web application firewalls that can detect and block CSRF attacks, ensuring that all administrative interfaces require proper authentication tokens, and implementing strict access controls for administrative functions. Network segmentation and monitoring of administrative activities can help detect unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following security best practices such as implementing proper anti-CSRF mechanisms, regularly updating software components, and maintaining comprehensive security monitoring. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, specifically targeting the T1078 and T1566 tactics. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts and conducting regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in their network infrastructure monitoring tools.