CVE-2015-0145 in OpenPages GRC Platform
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in IBM OpenPages GRC Platform 6.2 before IF7, 6.2.1 before 6.2.1.1 IF5, 7.0 before FP4, and 7.1 before FP1 allows remote authenticated users to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users for requests that insert XSS sequences.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/18/2018
The CVE-2015-0145 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within IBM OpenPages GRC Platform versions prior to specific maintenance releases. This vulnerability exists in versions 6.2 before IF7, 6.2.1 before 6.2.1.1 IF5, 7.0 before FP4, and 7.1 before FP1, creating a significant security risk for organizations utilizing this governance, risk, and compliance platform. The flaw enables authenticated attackers to manipulate the platform's authentication mechanisms and execute malicious actions on behalf of other users without their knowledge or consent.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation within the platform's web interface. When authenticated users navigate to maliciously crafted web pages or are tricked into clicking on compromised links, the vulnerable platform fails to properly verify that requests originate from legitimate sources. This weakness allows attackers to construct specially crafted requests that, when executed by authenticated users, can insert cross-site scripting sequences into the platform's data handling mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically targets the platform's user authentication and authorization systems, making it particularly dangerous for environments where multiple users with varying privilege levels interact with sensitive governance data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it creates a pathway for attackers to escalate privileges and potentially access confidential information within the OpenPages environment. When combined with the XSS insertion capability, the vulnerability becomes even more dangerous as it allows for persistent cross-site scripting attacks that can compromise user sessions and potentially lead to full system compromise. Organizations using these vulnerable versions face significant risks including unauthorized access to sensitive compliance data, potential data exfiltration, and the ability for attackers to modify or delete critical governance information. The vulnerability affects the platform's core authentication and authorization mechanisms, potentially undermining the entire security posture of organizations relying on OpenPages for their governance, risk, and compliance operations.
Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided patches and maintenance releases that address this vulnerability, specifically targeting the mentioned IF7, IF5, FP4, and FP1 releases for their respective platform versions. System administrators should also implement additional security controls such as monitoring for suspicious user activities and implementing proper web application firewalls to detect and block malicious CSRF requests. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for credential access through social engineering. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to ensure all instances of the vulnerable platform are updated and verify that proper authentication controls are in place to prevent similar issues in other web applications within their infrastructure.