CVE-2015-0544 in Secure Remote Services Virtual Edition
Summary
by MITRE
EMC Secure Remote Services Virtual Edition (ESRS VE) 3.x before 3.06 does not properly generate random values for session cookies, which makes it easier for remote attackers to hijack sessions by predicting a value.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/23/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0544 affects EMC Secure Remote Services Virtual Edition version 3.x prior to 3.06, representing a critical weakness in the session management mechanism of this remote access solution. This issue stems from the improper generation of random values used for session cookies, creating a predictable pattern that adversaries can exploit to gain unauthorized access to active user sessions. The flaw exists within the cryptographic randomness implementation of the session cookie generation process, fundamentally undermining the security model designed to protect remote administration sessions.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient entropy and predictable random number generation algorithms employed by the ESRS VE software. When session cookies are generated using weak randomization techniques, attackers can analyze patterns in the generated values and reproduce them to impersonate legitimate users. This weakness directly relates to CWE-330, which addresses the use of insufficiently random values in security-sensitive contexts, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.002 for credential harvesting through session hijacking. The predictable nature of the session identifiers allows threat actors to perform session prediction attacks without requiring additional authentication credentials or exploiting other vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session hijacking, as it can enable complete compromise of the affected system. An attacker who successfully predicts a session cookie can gain administrative access to the ESRS VE appliance, potentially leading to full system control, data exfiltration, and the ability to manipulate remote access configurations. This creates a significant risk for organizations relying on EMC Secure Remote Services for remote system management, particularly in environments where these appliances are exposed to untrusted networks or where administrative access is critical for system operations. The vulnerability essentially removes the cryptographic protection that should separate legitimate users from unauthorized actors in the authentication process.
Organizations should immediately apply the vendor-provided patch to ESRS VE version 3.06 or later, which addresses the random number generation weakness through improved cryptographic algorithms and entropy sources. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to limit exposure of ESRS VE appliances to trusted networks only, reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries. Regular monitoring of authentication logs for suspicious session activity and implementation of additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication can provide defense-in-depth measures. Security teams should also conduct vulnerability assessments to identify any other systems using similar weak randomization implementations and ensure proper entropy sources are configured across all security-sensitive applications. The remediation process should include verification that the updated random number generation algorithms are properly implemented and tested to prevent recurrence of similar weaknesses in the system's cryptographic operations.