CVE-2014-3416 in uPortal
Summary
by MITRE
uPortal before 4.0.13.1 does not properly check the MANAGE permissions, which allows remote authenticated users to manage arbitrary portlets by leveraging the SUBSCRIBE permission for the portlet-admin portlet.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/10/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-3416 affects uPortal versions prior to 4.0.13.1 and represents a significant authorization flaw that undermines the security model of the portal system. This issue stems from improper permission validation within the uPortal framework, specifically concerning how the system handles MANAGE permissions for portlets. The vulnerability allows authenticated users to escalate their privileges and gain unauthorized access to administrative functions that should be restricted to authorized personnel only.
The technical flaw manifests in the misconfiguration of permission checks within the portlet management subsystem. While users should require explicit MANAGE permissions to perform administrative actions on portlets, the vulnerability enables attackers to leverage existing SUBSCRIBE permissions for the portlet-admin portlet to bypass these restrictions. This cross-permission exploitation occurs because the system fails to properly validate whether a user possesses the necessary MANAGE privileges before allowing administrative operations to proceed. The flaw essentially creates a path where a user with SUBSCRIBE rights can manipulate the system into granting them MANAGE capabilities for arbitrary portlets.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it allows authenticated attackers to gain full administrative control over portlet configurations and potentially compromise the entire portal environment. An attacker could use this vulnerability to modify, delete, or add portlets to the portal, alter user access controls, and potentially gain access to sensitive information stored within portlet components. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where uPortal serves as a central portal for multiple departments and user groups, as the attacker could disrupt services, steal data, or create backdoors within the system.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control, and represents a classic case of privilege escalation through permission bypass. From an attacker perspective, this flaw maps to techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and defense evasion tactics. The vulnerability demonstrates how insufficient input validation and improper permission enforcement can create security holes that allow attackers to circumvent intended access controls. Organizations using uPortal should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to version 4.0.13.1 or later, reviewing and tightening permission settings, and implementing additional monitoring to detect unauthorized administrative activities. The incident highlights the importance of proper authorization checking and the need for comprehensive security testing of permission systems within portal and web application frameworks.