CVE-2012-6493 in Nexpose
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Rapid7 Nexpose Security Console before 5.5.4 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims for requests that delete scan data and sites via a request to data/site/delete.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/08/2024
The CVE-2012-6493 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Rapid7 Nexpose Security Console platform prior to version 5.5.4. This vulnerability resides in the web application's authentication and authorization mechanisms, specifically affecting the data/site/delete endpoint that handles scan data and site deletion operations. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate authenticated sessions and execute unauthorized administrative actions without proper authentication, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this vulnerability management platform.
This CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms within the affected Nexpose console implementation. When legitimate users authenticate to the system, their sessions remain active and can be exploited by attackers who craft malicious requests that leverage the victim's existing authenticated session. The vulnerability specifically targets the deletion functionality, allowing attackers to remove critical scan data and site configurations that could compromise the organization's security posture and audit trail. The attack vector operates through a simple HTTP request that, when executed by an authenticated user, performs unauthorized deletions within the console's data management system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data loss, as it fundamentally undermines the integrity and availability of the security scanning infrastructure. Organizations utilizing the affected Nexpose versions could experience complete loss of scan configurations, historical data, and potentially compromise their ability to maintain continuous security monitoring. The vulnerability affects the platform's ability to maintain proper access controls and session management, creating opportunities for attackers to disrupt security operations and potentially gain further access to underlying systems. The unspecified nature of the victims suggests this vulnerability could affect any authenticated user within the system, including administrators, making the potential impact particularly severe.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate patching to version 5.5.4 or later, which incorporates proper CSRF protection mechanisms including anti-CSRF tokens and request validation. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as network segmentation to limit access to the Nexpose console, enable multi-factor authentication where possible, and conduct regular security assessments of the platform. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery conditions, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments, as attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to gain deeper access after initial compromise. Security teams should also implement web application firewalls and monitor for suspicious deletion patterns in the console's audit logs to detect potential exploitation attempts.