CVE-2014-8778 in CxSAST
Summary
by MITRE
Checkmarx CxSAST (formerly CxSuite) before 7.1.8 allows remote authenticated users to bypass the CxQL sandbox protection mechanism and execute arbitrary C# code by asserting the (1) System.Security.Permissions.PermissionState.Unrestricted or (2) System.Security.Permissions.SecurityPermissionFlag.AllFlags permission.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2014-8778 affects Checkmarx CxSAST software versions prior to 7.1.8, representing a critical security flaw in the code analysis platform's sandbox protection mechanism. This issue enables remote authenticated attackers to circumvent the intended security controls designed to prevent arbitrary code execution during static application security testing. The vulnerability specifically targets the CxQL (Checkmarx Query Language) sandbox protection system, which is fundamental to ensuring that security queries cannot execute malicious code within the analysis environment. The flaw exists in the permission handling mechanisms that govern how security queries can interact with the underlying .NET runtime environment, creating a path for privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability relies on the attacker's ability to manipulate CxQL queries to assert specific security permissions that should normally be restricted. Attackers can exploit this by asserting either System.Security.Permissions.PermissionState.Unrestricted or System.Security.Permissions.SecurityPermissionFlag.AllFlags, both of which provide complete access to system resources and capabilities that should be blocked in a sandboxed environment. This permission manipulation bypasses the security model that is supposed to isolate potentially malicious queries from the host system, effectively allowing attackers to execute arbitrary C# code with the privileges of the CxSAST service account. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the permission model implementation where the sandbox protection mechanism fails to properly validate and restrict security permissions that could lead to code execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows authenticated attackers to gain complete control over the CxSAST server environment, potentially leading to data breaches, system compromise, and continued access to sensitive information. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious code that might exfiltrate sensitive data, establish persistence mechanisms, or use the compromised system as a launching point for further attacks within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on Checkmarx for security testing, as it undermines the security guarantees that make static analysis tools safe to use in production environments. Organizations with multiple users or automated scanning processes face increased risk, as any authenticated user with access to the CxSAST platform could potentially exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to system resources.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-264, which describes permissions, privileges, and access controls as a critical weakness in software systems. This weakness manifests in the improper handling of security permissions within the CxSAST sandbox environment, where the system fails to enforce proper access controls for security queries. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques, specifically T1068 (Local Privilege Escalation) and T1566 (Phishing for Information), as attackers could use the compromised system to gain elevated privileges and potentially access other systems within the network. The vulnerability also relates to T1078 (Valid Accounts) since exploitation requires authentication to the CxSAST platform, but once authenticated, the attacker can leverage the sandbox bypass to escalate privileges beyond their initial access level. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to CxSAST version 7.1.8 or later, reviewing user access controls, and implementing network segmentation to limit access to the CxSAST platform. Additional security measures such as monitoring for unusual permission requests in CxQL queries and implementing additional authentication layers should be considered to reduce the attack surface and prevent exploitation of this vulnerability.