CVE-2013-6192 in Operations Orchestration
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in HP Operations Orchestration before 9 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims via unknown vectors.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/12/2022
The CVE-2013-6192 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in HP Operations Orchestration versions prior to 9. This vulnerability resides within the web application framework of the enterprise orchestration platform, which is designed to automate and manage complex IT operations across distributed systems. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate authenticated sessions without proper authorization, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this platform for critical infrastructure management. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication handling mechanisms within the application's web interface, where session tokens and authentication cookies are not properly validated against legitimate user requests.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from inadequate protection mechanisms in the HP Operations Orchestration web application. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious web pages or email attachments that, when visited by an authenticated user, automatically submit requests to the target system without the user's knowledge or consent. The vulnerability manifests because the application fails to implement proper anti-CSRF token validation, session management controls, or referer header checking. This allows attackers to leverage the authenticated user's session to perform unauthorized actions such as modifying system configurations, accessing restricted data, or executing administrative commands. The unspecified nature of the victim vectors suggests that multiple attack surfaces within the application are susceptible to this manipulation, potentially affecting various operational functions and user privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it can lead to complete system compromise when combined with other attack vectors. Organizations using vulnerable versions of HP Operations Orchestration face risks of data breaches, system misconfiguration, and potential lateral movement within their networks. The attack can result in unauthorized modifications to critical infrastructure orchestration workflows, disruption of business operations, and exposure of sensitive operational data. Given that HP Operations Orchestration is typically deployed in enterprise environments with high-value IT assets, successful exploitation could provide attackers with persistent access to core operational systems. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the network or systems, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with distributed or cloud-based deployments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-6192 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to the latest available version of HP Operations Orchestration. Organizations should implement additional protective measures including web application firewalls that can detect and block CSRF attacks, enhanced session management controls, and proper input validation for all web requests. Network segmentation and privileged access controls can help limit the potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. Security teams should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify other potential CSRF vulnerabilities in related systems and applications. The implementation of proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms, including synchronized tokens and referer header validation, should be enforced across all web applications. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses, and represents a common attack pattern categorized under ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential access through phishing. Organizations should also consider implementing security awareness training to help users recognize potentially malicious web content that could exploit this vulnerability.