CVE-2014-8474 in Cloud Service Management
Summary
by MITRE
CA Cloud Service Management (CSM) before Summer 2014 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files, send HTTP requests to intranet servers, or cause a denial of service (CPU and memory consumption) via an XML document containing an external entity declaration in conjunction with an entity reference, related to an XML External Entity (XXE) issue.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/03/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-8474 represents a critical XML External Entity (XXE) flaw within CA Cloud Service Management (CSM) software prior to the Summer 2014 release. This weakness stems from the application's insufficient validation of XML input processing, specifically when handling external entity declarations within XML documents. The vulnerability operates through the exploitation of XML parsing mechanisms that fail to properly restrict access to external resources, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate the application's behavior through crafted XML payloads.
The technical exploitation of this XXE vulnerability enables attackers to perform multiple harmful operations including arbitrary file reading, internal network service probing, and resource exhaustion attacks. When an XML document containing external entity declarations is processed by the vulnerable CSM application, the parser resolves these entities and can access local files on the server filesystem, potentially exposing sensitive data such as configuration files, credentials, or system information. The flaw also permits attackers to send HTTP requests to internal network servers, effectively bypassing network segmentation and potentially enabling further reconnaissance or lateral movement within the organization's infrastructure.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a severe risk to organizations utilizing CA CSM, as it allows remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system information without requiring authentication. The ability to cause denial of service through CPU and memory consumption represents a particularly dangerous aspect, as it can be used to disrupt critical business services and potentially impact availability. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can target the system from outside the organization's network perimeter, significantly expanding the attack surface and reducing the effectiveness of traditional network-based security controls.
The security implications of CVE-2014-8474 align with CWE-611, which specifically addresses improper restriction of XML external entity references, and can be mapped to ATT&CK techniques such as T1059 for command and scripting interpreter usage and T1105 for remote file execution. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including disabling external entity resolution in XML parsers, implementing strict input validation for XML content, and restricting network access to the affected application. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security updates and the need for comprehensive XML processing security controls as recommended in industry standards such as the OWASP XML Security Guidelines and NIST Special Publication 800-187. The incident underscores the critical nature of addressing XXE vulnerabilities in enterprise applications and demonstrates how seemingly simple parsing flaws can result in significant security breaches.