CVE-2013-3277 in RSA Archer GRC
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in EMC RSA Archer GRC 5.x before 5.4 allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/21/2019
The CVE-2013-3277 vulnerability represents a critical open redirect flaw discovered in EMC RSA Archer GRC version 5.x prior to 5.4, exposing organizations to significant phishing and social engineering risks. This vulnerability resides within the application's authentication and navigation mechanisms, where user input is improperly validated before being used to redirect users to external web addresses. The flaw allows remote attackers to craft malicious URLs that appear legitimate but redirect users to attacker-controlled domains, effectively bypassing the application's security controls and potentially compromising user credentials or sensitive information.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the application's redirect functionality. When users attempt to access certain pages or perform specific actions, the system accepts redirect parameters without proper verification of their destination URLs. This weakness creates an opportunity for attackers to manipulate the redirect behavior by injecting malicious URLs into the application's navigation parameters. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-601 as an Open Redirect vulnerability, which specifically addresses the risk of redirecting users to untrusted web sites through improper input handling. The flaw operates at the application layer and requires no privileged access to exploit, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by anyone with access to the affected system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple redirection attacks, creating a comprehensive threat vector for sophisticated phishing campaigns. Attackers can craft deceptive URLs that appear to originate from legitimate Archer GRC interfaces, tricking users into believing they are navigating within a trusted environment while actually being redirected to malicious sites. This capability enables credential harvesting attacks, where users unknowingly submit their login credentials to attacker-controlled domains, as well as malware distribution through malicious file downloads or exploit delivery. The vulnerability affects organizations using Archer GRC 5.x versions before 5.4, potentially exposing sensitive governance, risk, and compliance data to unauthorized access. Security analysts have identified this flaw as particularly concerning within enterprise environments where Archer GRC is used for critical business processes, as it can facilitate broader attacks that compromise not just individual user accounts but entire organizational security postures.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches for EMC RSA Archer GRC 5.4 and later versions, which address the input validation issues. Network-level controls such as web application firewalls should be configured to monitor and block suspicious redirect patterns, while security awareness training programs should educate users about recognizing phishing attempts. The vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK tactics including initial access through phishing and credential access through credential harvesting, making it a significant concern for organizations following MITRE ATT&CK framework assessments. Additionally, implementing proper URL validation mechanisms and conducting regular security assessments of web applications can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in other systems. Organizations should also consider implementing redirect whitelisting policies and monitoring for anomalous redirect behaviors to detect potential exploitation attempts.