CVE-2014-1996 in Garoon
Summary
by MITRE
Cybozu Garoon 3.7 before SP4 allows remote authenticated users to bypass intended access restrictions, and execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service, via an API call.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/11/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-1996 affects Cybozu Garoon 3.7 before SP4, a collaborative software platform used for business communication and workflow management. This issue represents a critical authorization bypass flaw that enables authenticated attackers to escalate their privileges and gain unauthorized access to system resources. The vulnerability specifically resides within the application programming interface implementation, where proper access controls have been inadequately enforced. The affected system operates under the assumption that legitimate users with valid credentials can only access functionality appropriate to their assigned roles and permissions, yet this security model has been successfully circumvented by malicious actors.
The technical flaw manifests through improper validation of API requests within the Garoon platform's authentication and authorization framework. Attackers with valid user accounts can manipulate API calls to access restricted functionality that should only be available to administrators or users with specific privileges. This weakness creates a path for privilege escalation attacks where authenticated users can execute arbitrary code on the target system or cause denial of service conditions by exploiting the insufficient input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as it enables complete system compromise through code execution capabilities, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where such platforms serve as critical infrastructure components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted across enterprise security environments. Organizations utilizing affected versions of Cybozu Garoon face potential data breaches, system compromise, and operational disruption as attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive business information. The ability to execute arbitrary code provides attackers with full control over affected systems, potentially enabling them to establish persistent backdoors, exfiltrate confidential data, or deploy additional malicious payloads. Denial of service conditions can also severely impact business operations, particularly in environments where Garoon serves as a central communication platform for enterprise workflows and collaboration processes. This vulnerability directly violates security principles of least privilege and proper access control enforcement, creating an attack surface that can be exploited by both internal and external threat actors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-1996 should prioritize immediate application of the vendor-provided security patch or update to SP4 version of Cybozu Garoon 3.7. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the affected system to untrusted networks while maintaining comprehensive monitoring of API access patterns for anomalous behavior. Security teams should conduct thorough access control reviews and privilege audits to identify and remediate any existing unauthorized access that may have occurred through exploitation of this vulnerability. The implementation of web application firewalls and API security controls can provide additional protection layers against similar attacks targeting the platform's interface. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization issues, and maps to ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and defense evasion through exploitation of software vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing zero-trust network architectures that validate all access requests regardless of source or user identity, as this approach would significantly reduce the impact of such authorization bypass vulnerabilities.