CVE-2014-2516 in Authentication Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in EMC RSA Authentication Manager 8.x before 8.1 Patch 6 allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/01/2022
The CVE-2014-2516 vulnerability represents a critical open redirect flaw within EMC RSA Authentication Manager version 8.x prior to 8.1 Patch 6, fundamentally compromising user security through malicious redirection attacks. This vulnerability operates at the application level and specifically targets the authentication manager's handling of URL redirection mechanisms, creating an exploitable pathway for threat actors to manipulate user navigation behavior. The flaw enables remote attackers to craft malicious links that appear legitimate but redirect users to attacker-controlled domains, exploiting the trust relationship between the authentication system and end users. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple redirection as it provides a foundation for sophisticated phishing operations that can bypass traditional security controls and user awareness measures.
Technical analysis reveals that the vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the authentication manager's redirect functionality. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially formatted URLs that contain malicious redirect parameters, leveraging the system's failure to properly validate or sanitize redirect destinations. This flaw aligns with CWE-601 Open Redirect vulnerability classification, which specifically addresses situations where applications redirect users to untrusted domains without proper validation. The vulnerability operates through unspecified vectors that likely involve web form parameters, URL query strings, or session management components within the authentication framework. The lack of comprehensive validation allows attackers to inject arbitrary URLs that bypass the system's intended redirect controls, creating an attack surface that can be leveraged for credential theft and social engineering campaigns.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, particularly within enterprise environments that rely heavily on RSA Authentication Manager for identity and access management. Organizations using affected versions face significant risk of successful phishing attacks that can compromise user credentials and escalate to broader system compromises. The vulnerability enables attackers to create convincing phishing pages that appear to originate from legitimate authentication portals, exploiting user trust in the authentication system. This creates a particularly dangerous scenario where users may unknowingly provide sensitive information to attackers who have successfully hijacked their authentication flow. The open redirect mechanism can be used to redirect users to malicious domains that mimic the legitimate authentication interface, facilitating credential harvesting and potentially leading to unauthorized access to corporate resources. The vulnerability also undermines the security posture of the entire authentication ecosystem by creating a trusted path that can be subverted for malicious purposes.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-2516 should prioritize immediate patch deployment to EMC RSA Authentication Manager 8.1 Patch 6 or higher, as this represents the primary and most effective remediation approach. Organizations should implement comprehensive URL validation mechanisms that enforce strict domain whitelisting for redirect destinations, ensuring that only pre-approved domains can receive redirect traffic from the authentication system. Network-level controls including web application firewalls and proxy configurations should be deployed to monitor and filter redirect traffic, providing additional layers of protection. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all potentially affected systems and applications that may be leveraging the vulnerable authentication manager. The implementation of user education programs is essential to help personnel recognize and report suspicious redirect behavior, though this should complement technical controls rather than serve as primary defense. Organizations should also establish monitoring procedures to detect anomalous redirect patterns and implement logging mechanisms that can track redirect activities for forensic analysis. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that protect against both known and emerging threats within authentication systems. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566 Phishing and T1071.004 Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, highlighting its role in enabling social engineering attacks through compromised authentication flows.