CVE-2015-0938 in Malware Analysis Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
search.php on the Blue Coat Malware Analysis appliance with software before 4.2.4.20150312-RELEASE allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions, and list or read arbitrary documents, by providing matching keywords in conjunction with a crafted parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/04/2024
The CVE-2015-0938 vulnerability affects the Blue Coat Malware Analysis appliance, specifically targeting the search.php component in software versions prior to 4.2.4.20150312-RELEASE. This weakness represents a critical access control flaw that enables remote attackers to circumvent intended security restrictions and gain unauthorized access to sensitive documents within the system. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper access control mechanisms within the appliance's search functionality, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's document retrieval capabilities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a crafted parameter manipulation that, when combined with specific keyword matching, allows attackers to bypass the appliance's intended access controls. This flaw operates at the application layer and leverages the search functionality's failure to properly validate user input before processing document access requests. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, where the application fails to properly verify that the authenticated user has sufficient privileges to access requested resources. The attack vector requires remote access and can be executed without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous for networked environments where the appliance is exposed to external networks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized document access, as it can potentially expose sensitive malware analysis reports, threat intelligence data, and other confidential information stored within the Blue Coat appliance. Organizations utilizing this appliance may face significant security implications including data leakage, intellectual property exposure, and potential compromise of ongoing malware analysis activities. The vulnerability's ability to allow arbitrary document listing and reading creates a persistent risk that could be exploited by threat actors to gather intelligence about the organization's security infrastructure and malware analysis capabilities. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to cascading security issues when combined with other vulnerabilities within the appliance's attack surface.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-0938 should prioritize immediate software updates to the latest available version of the Blue Coat Malware Analysis appliance, specifically version 4.2.4.20150312-RELEASE or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the access control flaw. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the appliance to authorized personnel only, and consider deploying additional monitoring solutions to detect anomalous search activity patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers legitimate credentials use for persistence and privilege escalation, though in this case the attack focuses on bypassing access controls rather than credential theft. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other potential access control weaknesses within the appliance and surrounding network infrastructure to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities that may exist in the broader system architecture.