CVE-2014-2816 in SharePoint
Summary
by MITRE
Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013 Gold and SP1 and SharePoint Foundation 2013 Gold and SP1 allow remote authenticated users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse app that executes a custom action in the context of the SharePoint extensibility model, aka "SharePoint Page Content Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/17/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-2816 represents a critical privilege escalation flaw within Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013 and SharePoint Foundation 2013 installations. This security weakness specifically affects systems running the Gold release and Service Pack 1 versions of these platforms, creating a significant attack surface that malicious actors can exploit to elevate their privileges within the SharePoint environment. The vulnerability stems from how SharePoint handles custom applications and their execution within the extensibility model, which provides an avenue for unauthorized privilege escalation.
The technical flaw manifests through a Trojan horse application technique that leverages SharePoint's extensibility model to execute custom actions with elevated privileges. When an authenticated user uploads or installs a malicious application package, the SharePoint platform processes this application within the context of the SharePoint extensibility model, which typically operates with elevated permissions. This design flaw allows the malicious application to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the SharePoint service account, potentially enabling attackers to gain system-level access to the underlying infrastructure. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires only authenticated access to the SharePoint system, making it accessible to users who have legitimate credentials but may not have administrative privileges.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-2816 extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access to SharePoint environments and potentially compromise entire enterprise networks. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can manipulate SharePoint applications, access sensitive data, modify content, and potentially use the compromised SharePoint instance as a foothold for lateral movement within the network. The attack vector typically involves uploading a malicious app package through the SharePoint user interface or via the SharePoint app catalog, where the system processes the application within the extensibility model context. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-264, which addresses permissions, privileges, and access control issues in software systems. The exploitation process aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068, which involves exploiting weaknesses in the system to gain elevated privileges, and T1078, which covers legitimate credentials usage for persistence and privilege escalation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-2816 primarily focus on implementing proper access controls and system hardening measures. Organizations should immediately apply the relevant Microsoft security updates and patches that address this vulnerability, as Microsoft released specific fixes for this issue in their regular security bulletins. Network segmentation and least privilege access principles should be enforced to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation, ensuring that SharePoint service accounts operate with minimal required privileges. Additionally, implementing strict application approval processes and monitoring for unauthorized app installations can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The recommended approach includes disabling the ability for users to install custom applications unless absolutely necessary, implementing robust audit logging for app installation activities, and regularly reviewing SharePoint application permissions to ensure that no unauthorized applications have been installed or executed within the system. Security teams should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of unknown or unapproved applications within the SharePoint environment, thereby reducing the attack surface available to potential exploiters.