CVE-2014-1682 in Zabbix
Summary
by MITRE
The API in Zabbix before 1.8.20rc1, 2.0.x before 2.0.11rc1, and 2.2.x before 2.2.2rc1 allows remote authenticated users to spoof arbitrary users via the user name in a user.login request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/21/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-1682 affects the Zabbix monitoring platform, a widely deployed open-source solution for network monitoring and management. This issue resides within the application programming interface implementation of Zabbix versions prior to specific patch releases, creating a significant authentication bypass opportunity that can be exploited by remote attackers who have already established legitimate credentials. The flaw specifically manifests in the user.login request handling mechanism where the system fails to properly validate user identity information during authentication processes.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the API authentication flow. When authenticated users submit login requests through the API, the system accepts and processes the username parameter without sufficient sanitization or verification against existing user accounts. This allows malicious actors to manipulate the username field in API requests to impersonate other legitimate users within the system. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited remotely without requiring additional privileges beyond initial authentication access. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks and improper input handling that violates fundamental security principles.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple user impersonation, as it can enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive monitoring data, modify system configurations, and potentially escalate privileges within the Zabbix environment. Attackers could leverage this flaw to access comprehensive network monitoring information, view system alerts, manipulate monitoring parameters, and interfere with critical infrastructure oversight functions. The vulnerability affects multiple major release lines of Zabbix, indicating a systemic issue in the authentication implementation that could compromise large-scale monitoring deployments across various organizational environments.
Organizations utilizing affected Zabbix versions should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches that address the specific API authentication flow issues. The recommended solution involves upgrading to Zabbix versions 1.8.20rc1, 2.0.11rc1, or 2.2.2rc1, which contain fixed implementations of the user.login API endpoint with proper input validation and authentication checks. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing API request rate limiting, monitoring for unusual authentication patterns, and conducting thorough access control reviews to identify any potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization within software systems, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting through API manipulation. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure proper detection and remediation of similar authentication bypass vulnerabilities in other monitoring and management systems.