CVE-2014-0640 in RSA Archer GRC
Summary
by MITRE
EMC RSA Archer GRC Platform 5.x before 5.5 SP1 allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended restrictions on resource access via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0640 affects the EMC RSA Archer GRC Platform version 5.x prior to 5.5 Service Pack 1, representing a significant access control flaw that undermines the platform's security posture. This issue manifests as a privilege escalation vulnerability that permits authenticated users to circumvent intended access restrictions, potentially allowing unauthorized data exposure or system manipulation. The vulnerability resides within the platform's resource access control mechanisms, where improper validation or enforcement of user permissions enables malicious actors to gain access to resources beyond their designated privileges. The unspecified vectors suggest that the flaw could be exploited through multiple attack paths, making it particularly concerning for security teams tasked with protecting enterprise governance, risk, and compliance environments. Given that the platform is designed for sensitive enterprise environments, this vulnerability could have severe implications for organizations relying on it for critical business processes and compliance management.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization within software systems, and represents a classic case of insufficient access control validation. The flaw likely stems from inadequate input sanitization or flawed permission checking mechanisms that fail to properly verify user credentials against the intended access control policies. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could potentially access confidential data, modify system configurations, or perform administrative actions that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. The authentication requirement indicates that this is not a simple information disclosure vulnerability but rather one that requires initial access to the system, making it more challenging to detect while still posing significant risks to organizations. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple data access, as it could enable attackers to manipulate the platform's governance and compliance functions, potentially leading to regulatory violations or business disruption.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-0640 is substantial for organizations utilizing the RSA Archer platform, particularly those in regulated industries where compliance and audit trails are critical. A successful exploitation could result in unauthorized access to sensitive business intelligence, compliance data, or risk assessment information that organizations rely upon for decision-making and regulatory compliance. The vulnerability's presence in a GRC platform specifically makes it dangerous as it could allow attackers to manipulate the very systems designed to monitor and control organizational risk exposure. Organizations may experience reputational damage, regulatory penalties, and financial losses if this vulnerability is exploited to gain access to confidential information or disrupt business processes. The attack vector's unspecified nature suggests that defenders must assume multiple potential exploitation methods, complicating detection and mitigation efforts. Security teams would need to implement comprehensive monitoring solutions to detect unusual access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability could be leveraged in conjunction with other attack techniques.
Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided patch for EMC RSA Archer GRC Platform 5.5 SP1 to remediate this vulnerability, as it represents a critical security risk that could be exploited by determined attackers. The mitigation strategy should include implementing network segmentation to limit access to the platform, deploying additional monitoring controls to detect anomalous access patterns, and conducting comprehensive access reviews to ensure proper privilege allocation. Security teams should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication and enhanced logging mechanisms to provide additional layers of protection. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1078, which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, indicates that organizations should review their account management practices and implement least privilege principles more rigorously. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar access control weaknesses in other enterprise systems, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust authorization controls in mission-critical platforms. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure they can quickly detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts.