CVE-2014-7198 in OMERO
Summary
by MITRE
OMERO before 5.0.6 has multiple CSRF vulnerabilities because the framework for OMERO's web interface lacks CSRF protection.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/21/2023
The CVE-2014-7198 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the OMERO scientific image management system prior to version 5.0.6. This vulnerability stems from the absence of Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection mechanisms within OMERO's web interface framework. OMERO, a widely used platform for managing and sharing scientific imagery, particularly in biological and medical research environments, became susceptible to malicious attacks due to this fundamental security oversight. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on OMERO for storing, processing, and sharing sensitive research data, potentially compromising the integrity and confidentiality of their scientific workflows.
The technical flaw manifests as a complete absence of CSRF protection measures in OMERO's web application framework. CSRF attacks exploit the trust that a web application places in a user's browser by tricking the browser into executing unauthorized actions on behalf of an authenticated user. In OMERO's case, attackers could craft malicious web pages or emails that, when visited by an authenticated user, would perform actions within the OMERO system without the user's knowledge or consent. This includes operations such as creating, modifying, or deleting image data, changing user permissions, or accessing restricted resources. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because OMERO serves researchers and scientists who handle sensitive data, making the potential impact of unauthorized access significant.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, affecting the integrity of research workflows and potentially compromising ongoing scientific projects. Organizations using OMERO could face unauthorized modifications to their image databases, leading to data corruption or loss of research integrity. The vulnerability also poses risks to user accounts, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges or gain unauthorized access to other users' data. Given that OMERO is commonly used in academic and research environments where data security is paramount, this vulnerability could undermine the trust placed in the system by researchers and institutions. The lack of CSRF protection means that any authenticated user session could be exploited, making the attack surface particularly broad.
Organizations affected by CVE-2014-7198 should immediately upgrade to OMERO version 5.0.6 or later, which includes proper CSRF protection mechanisms. The mitigation strategy should also encompass implementing additional security measures such as network segmentation to limit access to OMERO systems, enforcing strict access controls, and conducting regular security audits. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious activities that might indicate CSRF attack attempts. From a compliance perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, and represents a significant risk under ATT&CK framework category T1212, focusing on exploitation of remote services. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure they can quickly detect and respond to potential CSRF attacks targeting their OMERO installations.