CVE-2014-1644 in LiveUpdate
Summary
by MITRE
The forgotten-password feature in forcepasswd.do in the management GUI in Symantec LiveUpdate Administrator (LUA) 2.x before 2.3.2.110 allows remote attackers to reset arbitrary passwords by providing the e-mail address associated with a user account.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/09/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-1644 resides within the Symantec LiveUpdate Administrator (LUA) 2.x management GUI, specifically in the forcepasswd.do component that handles forgotten password functionality. This critical security flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the password reset mechanism by simply submitting any email address associated with a user account within the system. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control measures within the password recovery workflow, allowing unauthorized parties to manipulate the authentication system without proper authorization.
The technical implementation of this flaw demonstrates a classic case of insufficient authorization checks and improper validation of user-provided data. When an attacker submits an email address through the forgotten password interface, the system fails to verify whether the requester has legitimate authorization to reset the password for that specific account. This design flaw directly violates security principles of least privilege and proper access control, creating an attack vector that can be exploited from any remote location without requiring prior authentication or system access. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the authentication and session management components of the Symantec LiveUpdate Administrator platform.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to account credentials, potentially enabling attackers to gain persistent access to critical system management functions. Since the Symantec LiveUpdate Administrator serves as a central management platform for security updates and patches, successful exploitation could allow attackers to manipulate update distributions, modify system configurations, or escalate privileges within the administrative environment. This vulnerability represents a significant risk to enterprise security infrastructure, particularly in environments where the management GUI is accessible over networks or exposed to untrusted users. The attack can be executed entirely remotely, making it particularly dangerous as it does not require physical access or complex attack chains.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to Symantec LiveUpdate Administrator version 2.3.2.110 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the authentication bypass. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit access to the management GUI to trusted administrative networks only. Additional protective measures include implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, monitoring authentication logs for suspicious activity, and restricting email address enumeration through rate limiting or other access control mechanisms. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-305 authentication bypass issues and maps to attack techniques within the MITRE ATT&CK framework under credential access and privilege escalation categories, specifically targeting the use of legitimate credentials obtained through social engineering or automated enumeration techniques.