CVE-2014-8246 in Release Automation
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in CA Release Automation (formerly iTKO LISA Release Automation) before 4.7.1 b448 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/28/2024
The CVE-2014-8246 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in CA Release Automation, formerly known as iTKO LISA Release Automation, affecting versions prior to 4.7.1 build 448. This vulnerability exposes the application to unauthorized manipulation by malicious actors who can exploit the lack of proper CSRF protection mechanisms. The flaw enables remote attackers to hijack authenticated sessions without requiring knowledge of valid credentials, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where automated release processes are critical. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of anti-CSRF tokens in the application's authentication flow, creating opportunities for attackers to execute unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users. The unspecified nature of victim targets suggests this weakness affects multiple user roles and access levels within the system, potentially compromising the entire release automation pipeline.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability lies in the application's failure to properly validate the referer header or implement robust anti-CSRF token mechanisms. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or exploit existing vulnerabilities in web browsers to trick authenticated users into performing unintended actions against the CA Release Automation server. The attack vector typically involves sending crafted requests that leverage the victim's existing session cookies, effectively impersonating the legitimate user. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. The vulnerability's impact is amplified because CA Release Automation systems often handle sensitive deployment operations, configuration changes, and release management tasks that could result in significant operational disruption or security breaches when compromised. The lack of proper CSRF protection means that even if users are authenticated to the system, their sessions can be hijacked through carefully crafted malicious requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple authentication bypass, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate release processes, modify deployment configurations, or even execute unauthorized deployments that could compromise production environments. In enterprise settings where release automation systems manage critical infrastructure and application deployments, such a vulnerability could lead to service interruptions, data corruption, or unauthorized access to sensitive systems. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access or network proximity to exploit it, making it particularly dangerous in cloud-based or distributed deployment scenarios. Organizations using CA Release Automation may experience unauthorized changes to their deployment pipelines, potentially leading to security incidents that could affect compliance requirements and regulatory adherence. The attack could result in complete compromise of the release automation environment, allowing adversaries to manipulate software delivery processes and potentially gain access to underlying infrastructure components.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to CA Release Automation version 4.7.1 build 448 or later to address this vulnerability, as this represents the first fixed version that implements proper CSRF protection mechanisms. The mitigation strategy should include implementing comprehensive anti-CSRF token validation, enforcing proper referer header checks, and ensuring that all authentication requests are properly validated against expected origins. Security teams should also review and strengthen their overall web application security posture, implementing additional monitoring for suspicious authentication patterns and unauthorized session activities. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers credential harvesting through social engineering or exploitation of web application vulnerabilities, and T1078, which addresses legitimate credentials usage for persistence and privilege escalation. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their release automation environments and implement network segmentation to limit potential attack surfaces. Additionally, regular security training for developers and administrators on secure coding practices and CSRF prevention techniques will help reduce the likelihood of similar vulnerabilities in other applications within the organization's infrastructure.