CVE-2014-3115 in FortiWeb
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in the web administration console in Fortinet FortiWeb before 5.2.0 allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3115 represents a critical cross-site request forgery weakness discovered in Fortinet FortiWeb appliances prior to version 5.2.0. This flaw specifically targets the web administration console component of the security appliance, creating a significant risk for organizations relying on FortiWeb for web application firewall protection. The vulnerability falls under the broader category of CWE-352, which encompasses cross-site request forgery attacks that exploit the implicit trust a web application places in a user's browser. The affected FortiWeb appliances expose administrative functions through their web interface, making them susceptible to unauthorized manipulation by malicious actors who can leverage CSRF techniques to perform administrative actions without proper authentication.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-forgery token validation within the administrative web console of FortiWeb devices. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious web pages or emails that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically submit requests to the FortiWeb management interface. These requests appear legitimate to the appliance since they originate from an authenticated session, allowing the attacker to perform administrative operations such as modifying firewall rules, changing user permissions, or accessing sensitive configuration data. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the vulnerability description suggest that multiple attack surfaces within the web console may be susceptible to this type of manipulation, potentially affecting various administrative functions and settings.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it directly compromises the integrity and confidentiality of the security infrastructure. Organizations using vulnerable FortiWeb appliances face the risk of complete administrative takeover, enabling attackers to bypass the web application firewall protection they were designed to provide. This creates a particularly dangerous scenario where the very security device meant to protect against external threats becomes compromised, allowing attackers to modify security policies and potentially expose the entire network to further attacks. The vulnerability also poses risks to compliance requirements, as unauthorized changes to security configurations could violate regulatory standards and audit requirements.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-3115 should prioritize immediate firmware upgrades to FortiWeb version 5.2.0 or later, which includes proper CSRF token implementation and session management enhancements. Network administrators should also implement additional protective measures such as restricting administrative access to specific IP ranges, implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, and conducting regular security assessments of the web console. Organizations should consider network segmentation to limit access to the FortiWeb management interface and establish monitoring protocols to detect unauthorized administrative activities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1566, which covers social engineering techniques that exploit web application vulnerabilities, making it essential for security teams to understand both the technical and operational aspects of this threat. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and ensuring that all administrative functions require explicit authentication tokens will help prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in other web applications within the organization's infrastructure.