CVE-2012-4586 in Email
Summary
by MITRE
McAfee Email and Web Security (EWS) 5.x before 5.5 Patch 6 and 5.6 before Patch 3, and McAfee Email Gateway (MEG) 7.0 before Patch 1, accesses files with the privileges of the root user, which allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended permission settings by requesting a file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/25/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-4586 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw affecting McAfee Email and Web Security (EWS) and McAfee Email Gateway (MEG) products. This security weakness resides in the file access mechanisms of these email security appliances, where the system operates with root privileges when processing file requests. The vulnerability impacts versions prior to specific patch releases, including EWS 5.x before 5.5 Patch 6 and 5.6 before Patch 3, as well as MEG 7.0 before Patch 1. The flaw stems from improper privilege management during file handling operations, creating a scenario where authenticated remote attackers can exploit this weakness to gain elevated system access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the system's failure to properly validate file access requests, allowing authenticated users to manipulate file paths or access patterns that would normally be restricted. When the security appliance processes file requests, it executes these operations with root privileges, which should never be the case for standard file access operations. This design flaw enables attackers who have authenticated access to the system to craft specific requests that bypass intended permission controls. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-276, which addresses improper privileges, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers local privilege escalation through improper file permissions. The root cause lies in the system's failure to implement proper privilege separation between user authentication and file system operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations using affected McAfee security appliances. Remote authenticated attackers can leverage this flaw to bypass file system permissions and potentially gain complete control over the security appliance. This escalation allows attackers to read sensitive configuration files, modify security policies, access intercepted email content, and potentially establish persistent access points within the network. The vulnerability undermines the fundamental security model of the appliance, as it allows attackers to circumvent the intended access controls that protect system integrity and data confidentiality. Organizations may experience unauthorized data access, potential data exfiltration, and complete compromise of their email security infrastructure, which could lead to broader network infiltration attempts.
Organizations should immediately implement the vendor-provided patches for EWS 5.5 Patch 6 and 5.6 Patch 3, as well as MEG 7.0 Patch 1 to address this vulnerability. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous file access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security administrators should review and tighten access controls for the affected appliances, ensuring that only necessary users have authentication credentials. The implementation of principle of least privilege should be enforced, with regular audits of file access permissions and system configurations. Additionally, organizations should consider deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify suspicious file access patterns and maintain comprehensive logging of all file operations for forensic analysis. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of privilege separation in security appliances and the potential consequences when such separation is not properly implemented.