CVE-2014-2205 in ePolicy Orchestrator
Summary
by MITRE
The Import and Export Framework in McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO) before 4.6.7 Hotfix 940148 allows remote authenticated users with permissions to add dashboards to read arbitrary files by importing a crafted XML file, related to an XML External Entity (XXE) issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2014-2205 represents a critical XML External Entity (XXE) flaw within McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator's Import and Export Framework. This security weakness exists in ePO versions prior to 4.6.7 Hotfix 940148 and enables remote authenticated attackers with dashboard creation privileges to execute arbitrary file reads through maliciously crafted XML import operations. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper handling of external entity references within the XML processing pipeline of the ePO system.
The technical implementation of this XXE vulnerability occurs when the ePO Import and Export Framework processes XML files containing external entity declarations. An attacker with legitimate permissions to add dashboards can craft a malicious XML file that references external entities pointing to sensitive system files such as configuration files, credential stores, or system binaries. When the ePO system processes this crafted XML during import operations, it resolves the external entities and exposes the contents of the targeted files to the attacker. This flaw operates at the XML parser level and demonstrates a classic XXE attack pattern that bypasses traditional access controls and authentication mechanisms.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations relying on McAfee ePO for security policy management and endpoint protection. The attack vector requires only authenticated access with dashboard creation privileges, which may be granted to various administrative roles within the organization. Successful exploitation can lead to information disclosure of sensitive configuration data, system credentials, or other confidential information stored in accessible files. The impact extends beyond immediate data exposure as the leaked information could facilitate further attacks including privilege escalation, lateral movement, or targeted exploitation of other system components. Organizations using ePO for centralized security management face particular risk since this vulnerability could compromise the integrity of their entire security infrastructure.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by applying McAfee's official patch for ePO version 4.6.7 Hotfix 940148 to address this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing network segmentation and access control measures can help limit the potential impact of such attacks by restricting dashboard creation permissions to only essential administrative users. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual XML import activities and unauthorized dashboard modifications. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) and represents a common attack pattern categorized under ATT&CK technique T1566.001 (Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment) and T1078.004 (Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts) when considering the attack prerequisites and potential exploitation pathways. Network administrators should also consider implementing XML parser restrictions and disabling external entity resolution in all XML processing components to provide defense-in-depth against similar XXE vulnerabilities.