CVE-2014-8510 in Interscan Web Security Virtual Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
The AdminUI in Trend Micro InterScan Web Security Virtual Appliance (IWSVA) before 6.0 HF build 1244 allows remote authenticated users to read arbitrary files via vectors related to configuration input when saving filters.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/24/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-8510 affects the Trend Micro InterScan Web Security Virtual Appliance version 6.0 and earlier builds before 1244. This security flaw exists within the AdminUI component of the web security appliance, which is designed to protect organizations from web-based threats and malicious content. The vulnerability specifically targets the configuration input handling mechanism when users save filters within the administrative interface, creating a path for unauthorized file access that could compromise sensitive system information.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the AdminUI's filter saving functionality. When authenticated users attempt to save configuration filters, the system fails to properly validate the input parameters, allowing maliciously crafted inputs to traverse the file system and access arbitrary files that should remain restricted. This represents a classic path traversal vulnerability that enables attackers to bypass normal access controls and retrieve sensitive configuration files, log data, and potentially system credentials that are stored on the appliance. The vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category of CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on IWSVA for web security protection. Remote authenticated attackers who can establish valid administrative credentials can exploit this flaw to access sensitive configuration files that may contain encryption keys, user credentials, and system settings that could be leveraged for further attacks. The ability to read arbitrary files could potentially expose the appliance's internal architecture, reveal network configurations, and provide attackers with information necessary for privilege escalation or lateral movement within the network. This vulnerability undermines the fundamental security assumptions of the appliance's administrative interface and could lead to complete compromise of the web security infrastructure.
Organizations should immediately apply the security patch released by Trend Micro for IWSVA version 6.0 build 1244 and later, which addresses this directory traversal vulnerability through proper input validation and sanitization of configuration inputs. System administrators should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the appliance to untrusted networks, while monitoring for suspicious administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include comprehensive testing of the updated appliance to ensure that the patch does not introduce compatibility issues with existing security policies and configurations. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify similar weaknesses in their web security infrastructure and ensure proper input validation mechanisms are in place across all administrative interfaces. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating all user inputs in web applications and the potential consequences of insufficient access controls in security appliances that handle sensitive configuration data.