CVE-2014-5217 in Access Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in nps/servlet/webacc in the Administration Console server in NetIQ Access Manager (NAM) 4.x before 4.1 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that change the administrative password via an fw.SetPassword action.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2024
The CVE-2014-5217 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in NetIQ Access Manager version 4.x prior to 4.1. This vulnerability specifically affects the Administration Console server component known as nps/servlet/webacc, which serves as the primary interface for administrative functions within the access management platform. The flaw resides in how the system handles authentication tokens and request validation for administrative operations, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's trust mechanisms. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it targets the most sensitive administrative function - password changes - making it a prime target for attackers seeking to gain persistent control over the access management infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the fw.SetPassword action handler. When administrators perform password change operations through the web interface, the system should validate that the request originates from an authenticated administrative session and contains a valid anti-CSRF token. However, the vulnerable implementation fails to enforce this critical security check, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrative sessions. This flaw operates under the principle that the system trusts the request parameters without sufficient verification of the user's intent, creating a scenario where an attacker can construct a forged request that executes with administrative privileges. The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with a direct pathway to compromise the entire access management infrastructure. Once an attacker successfully hijacks an administrative session through CSRF, they can change passwords for any administrative account, effectively taking complete control of the NetIQ Access Manager environment. This compromise enables attackers to modify access policies, grant themselves unauthorized access to protected resources, and potentially establish persistent backdoors within the organization's access control framework. The attack vector requires minimal sophistication - an attacker only needs to convince a logged-in administrator to visit a malicious website or click on a crafted link, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where administrators frequently browse external content. The attack aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering tactics specifically targeting administrative accounts, and T1078, which addresses legitimate credentials use for persistence and privilege escalation.
Organizations affected by CVE-2014-5217 should immediately implement the vendor-provided patch for NetIQ Access Manager 4.1 or later versions, as this represents the primary and most effective mitigation strategy. The patch addresses the core issue by implementing proper anti-CSRF token validation for all administrative actions, including the password change functionality. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional defensive measures such as monitoring for unusual administrative activity patterns and establishing strict access controls for the Administration Console server. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating all administrative requests and implementing robust session management practices. Security teams should conduct thorough assessments of their access management infrastructure to identify similar CSRF vulnerabilities in other administrative interfaces and ensure that all administrative functions properly implement anti-CSRF protections. The incident underscores the necessity of maintaining up-to-date security patches and implementing defense-in-depth strategies to protect critical infrastructure components from exploitation.