CVE-2014-9385 in Zenoss
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Zenoss Core through 5 Beta 3 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that trigger arbitrary code execution via a ZenPack upload, aka ZEN-15388.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/20/2024
The CVE-2014-9385 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in Zenoss Core versions up to 5 Beta 3, specifically affecting the ZenPack upload functionality. This vulnerability operates under the CWE-352 classification for Cross-Site Request Forgery, where an attacker can manipulate authenticated users into executing unintended actions without their knowledge. The flaw exists within the web application's authentication and authorization mechanisms, allowing malicious actors to leverage legitimate user sessions for unauthorized operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within the ZenPack upload process. When a user with administrative privileges accesses the ZenPack upload interface, the application fails to adequately verify that the request originates from the legitimate application interface rather than from a malicious third-party website. This weakness enables attackers to craft malicious web pages that automatically submit requests to the vulnerable Zenoss Core instance, potentially triggering arbitrary code execution through the uploaded ZenPack components.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session hijacking, as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code on the target system through the ZenPack upload mechanism. This creates a severe escalation path where an attacker can gain control over the entire Zenoss Core environment, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability affects the application's integrity and availability, as unauthorized code execution could result in data corruption, system instability, or complete service disruption. Attackers can leverage this flaw to install backdoors, modify system configurations, or exfiltrate sensitive monitoring data that Zenoss Core typically manages.
Security practitioners should implement multiple layers of mitigation for this vulnerability, including immediate patching of affected Zenoss Core versions, proper implementation of anti-CSRF tokens for all state-changing operations, and enforcement of strict origin validation mechanisms. The mitigation strategies align with ATT&CK technique T1566.002 for Credential Access through forged requests and T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation, monitoring for unusual upload activities, and conducting regular security assessments to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper authentication verification in web applications, particularly those handling administrative functions and file uploads, as it directly violates fundamental security principles outlined in OWASP Top Ten Project category A07:2021 - Identification and Authentication Failures.