CVE-2014-7862 in Desktop Central
Summary
by MITRE
The DCPluginServelet servlet in ManageEngine Desktop Central and Desktop Central MSP before build 90109 allows remote attackers to create administrator accounts via an addPlugInUser action.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-7862 resides within the DCPluginServelet servlet component of ManageEngine Desktop Central and Desktop Central MSP platforms. This issue affects versions prior to build 90109 and represents a critical authentication bypass flaw that enables remote attackers to escalate privileges through unauthorized account creation. The vulnerability specifically targets the addPlugInUser action within the servlet, which should normally require administrative authorization to execute but instead permits unauthenticated remote exploitation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the servlet's processing logic. When the addPlugInUser action is invoked remotely, the system fails to properly authenticate the requestor or verify their authorization level before proceeding with user account creation. This design flaw allows malicious actors to craft specially formatted requests that bypass normal authentication procedures, effectively granting them the ability to create new administrator accounts with full system privileges. The vulnerability manifests as a lack of proper session validation and privilege checking, which are fundamental security controls that should prevent unauthorized modifications to user accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching, as it provides remote attackers with persistent administrative access to affected systems. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can establish backdoor accounts that persist across system restarts and administrative interventions. This capability enables attackers to maintain long-term access to enterprise networks, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system compromise, and lateral movement throughout the infrastructure. The vulnerability affects organizations using ManageEngine Desktop Central for remote desktop management, making it particularly dangerous for enterprises that rely on this platform for their IT operations and system administration tasks.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patch for build 90109 or higher, which addresses the authentication bypass through proper input validation and access control enforcement. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to the affected servlet endpoints, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual account creation patterns. Additionally, security teams should conduct thorough audits of existing user accounts and implement principle of least privilege configurations to minimize the potential impact of any successful exploitation attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering, emphasizing the importance of proper access controls and account management practices.
The root cause of this vulnerability demonstrates a failure in implementing proper security controls during the software development lifecycle, specifically in the authentication and authorization phases. This issue highlights the critical importance of input validation, proper session management, and privilege enforcement mechanisms in web applications. Organizations should strengthen their security posture by implementing comprehensive security testing procedures, including penetration testing and code reviews, to identify similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited in production environments. The vulnerability also underscores the necessity of keeping software components updated with the latest security patches and maintaining robust security monitoring capabilities to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts.