CVE-2014-0641 in RSA Archer GRC
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in EMC RSA Archer GRC Platform 5.x before 5.5 SP1 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/04/2019
The CVE-2014-0641 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the EMC RSA Archer GRC Platform version 5.x prior to 5.5 Service Pack 1. This vulnerability resides in the platform's authentication mechanism and enables remote attackers to exploit the system by tricking authenticated users into executing unauthorized actions. The flaw specifically targets the platform's session management and authentication flow, creating a pathway for attackers to hijack user sessions and perform actions on their behalf without their knowledge or consent.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms within the Archer GRC Platform's web application. When users navigate to malicious websites or click on compromised links, the attacker can craft requests that leverage the user's existing authenticated session to perform administrative or operational tasks within the Archer platform. This occurs because the platform fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same origin, allowing attackers to bypass authentication controls through carefully constructed cross-site requests that exploit the trust relationship between the user's browser and the Archer application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session hijacking, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities within the Archer GRC environment. Attackers could potentially modify user permissions, access sensitive compliance data, alter risk assessments, or even delete critical records within the platform. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the entire GRC framework, as unauthorized modifications to risk assessments and compliance data could lead to significant business impact and regulatory compliance issues. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the network or system to exploit this vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Archer platforms manage critical governance, risk, and compliance information.
Organizations utilizing the affected EMC RSA Archer GRC Platform versions face substantial risk exposure from this vulnerability, particularly in environments where privileged access to the platform could result in unauthorized changes to critical business processes. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.002, which involves credential access through phishing or social engineering attacks that leverage CSRF vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to user sessions. The lack of proper CSRF protection in the Archer platform creates an attack surface that can be exploited by threat actors to achieve persistent access to sensitive governance and compliance data, potentially leading to significant operational disruptions and compliance violations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-0641 should prioritize immediate implementation of the vendor-provided patches and updates to the EMC RSA Archer GRC Platform. Organizations must ensure all systems are updated to version 5.5 Service Pack 1 or later to address the CSRF implementation flaw. Additional protective measures include implementing proper anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms, configuring web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious cross-site requests, and establishing network segmentation to limit access to the Archer platform. Security teams should also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and implement monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous user behavior or unauthorized modifications to risk assessments and compliance data within the platform.