CVE-2015-0541 in RSA Web Threat Detection
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in EMC RSA Web Threat Detection before 5.1 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of arbitrary users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2017
The CVE-2015-0541 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in EMC RSA Web Threat Detection software prior to version 5.1. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the authentication mechanisms of the web-based threat detection platform. The flaw enables remote attackers to manipulate authenticated sessions by tricking users into executing unintended actions without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the application's request processing pipeline, allowing malicious actors to forge requests that appear legitimate to the target system.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability exploits the trust relationship between the web application and its users. When a legitimate user accesses the RSA Web Threat Detection interface, their session remains active and authenticated. However, the application fails to validate the authenticity of requests originating from external domains or unauthorized sources. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or emails containing specially crafted requests that leverage the victim's existing authenticated session. The vulnerability specifically affects the authentication handling components where the application should verify the origin and integrity of each request but instead accepts requests that could be generated by attackers. This flaw falls under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities in software applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows attackers to perform authenticated actions on behalf of legitimate users without their knowledge. An attacker could potentially escalate privileges, modify configuration settings, access sensitive threat data, or execute administrative functions within the RSA Web Threat Detection environment. The remote nature of the attack means that exploitation does not require physical access to the network or direct system compromise. This vulnerability particularly threatens organizations relying on RSA Web Threat Detection for security monitoring, as successful exploitation could lead to complete compromise of the threat detection capabilities. The attack vector typically involves social engineering techniques where users are tricked into visiting malicious websites or clicking on compromised links while maintaining an active session with the target application.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-0541 primarily focus on implementing proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms within the application framework. Organizations should upgrade to EMC RSA Web Threat Detection version 5.1 or later, which includes the necessary security patches to address the CSRF vulnerability. The recommended approach involves implementing unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session that are validated on every state-changing request. Additionally, organizations should deploy Content Security Policy headers, implement SameSite cookie attributes, and ensure proper session management practices. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering tactics, and T1078 which addresses valid accounts usage. Security teams should also conduct regular vulnerability assessments and implement proper security awareness training to reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks that leverage this CSRF flaw.