CVE-2012-4594 in ePolicy Orchestrator
Summary
by MITRE
McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO) 4.6.1 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions, and obtain sensitive information from arbitrary reporting panels, via a modified ID value in a console URL.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2017
McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator version 4.6.1 and earlier contained a critical access control vulnerability that allowed remote authenticated users to bypass intended security restrictions and access sensitive reporting information. This vulnerability specifically affected the console URL handling mechanism where the system failed to properly validate the ID parameter used in reporting panel access. The flaw enabled attackers who had valid authentication credentials to manipulate URL parameters and gain unauthorized access to reporting panels that should have been restricted to specific users or roles. The vulnerability was classified under CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, representing a fundamental breakdown in the access control mechanisms that should have protected sensitive administrative information. This weakness allowed attackers to escalate their privileges and access confidential data through manipulation of the ID value in console URLs.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stemmed from insufficient input validation and inadequate authorization checks within the ePO console interface. When users navigated to specific reporting panels through console URLs, the system relied on an ID parameter to determine which panel to display and what level of access to grant. However, the validation process failed to properly verify that the authenticated user had legitimate authorization to access the specific panel identified by the manipulated ID value. This allowed attackers to construct modified URLs with different ID values and access panels that were not intended for their user role or privilege level. The vulnerability exploited the trust relationship between the authenticated session and the URL parameters, essentially allowing privilege escalation through parameter manipulation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability was significant for organizations using McAfee ePO 4.6.1 or earlier versions, as it could potentially expose sensitive configuration data, system information, and administrative reports to unauthorized users. Attackers could access detailed information about system configurations, security policies, and other administrative data that should have been restricted to authorized administrators only. This could lead to comprehensive reconnaissance of the security infrastructure, enabling attackers to identify system weaknesses, understand network configurations, and potentially plan further attacks against the organization. The vulnerability particularly affected organizations that relied heavily on ePO for centralized security management, as it undermined the integrity of the access control system that was designed to protect sensitive administrative functions.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should have immediately upgraded to McAfee ePO version 4.6.2 or later, which contained the necessary patches to address the access control flaw. Security administrators should have implemented additional monitoring of console URL access patterns and user behavior to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligned with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through manipulation of system access controls. Organizations should have also reviewed and enforced proper access control policies, ensuring that only authorized personnel had access to sensitive reporting panels. The incident highlighted the importance of input validation and proper authorization checks in web applications, particularly in security management systems where access control is paramount to maintaining organizational security posture. This vulnerability served as a reminder of the critical need for regular security updates and the importance of maintaining proper access control mechanisms in enterprise security infrastructure.