CVE-2015-2771 in TRITON AP-EMAIL
Summary
by MITRE
The Mail Server in Websense TRITON AP-EMAIL and V-Series appliances before 8.0.0 uses plaintext credentials, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-2771 affects the Mail Server component within Websense TRITON AP-EMAIL and V-Series appliances running versions prior to 8.0.0. This represents a critical security flaw that exposes the system to remote exploitation by malicious actors seeking to compromise sensitive authentication data. The vulnerability specifically resides in how the mail server handles credential transmission, utilizing plaintext protocols instead of secure encrypted methods for authentication purposes.
This technical flaw constitutes a significant weakness in the appliance's security architecture, as it allows unauthorized remote access to authentication credentials without requiring any privileged access or complex exploitation techniques. The use of plaintext credentials creates an attack surface that enables threat actors to intercept and capture login information during network transmission. The unspecified vectors mentioned in the description suggest that multiple attack pathways may exist, potentially including man-in-the-middle attacks, network packet sniffing, or other passive reconnaissance methods that can capture authentication data as it travels across the network.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as compromised mail server credentials can provide attackers with access to email communications, user accounts, and potentially broader network resources depending on the system configuration. Organizations using affected Websense appliances face substantial risk of unauthorized email access, data exfiltration, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of email security appliances, undermining the trust model that organizations rely upon for protecting their email communications and sensitive business data.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-312, which describes the exposure of sensitive information through the use of plaintext credentials. The issue also maps to several ATT&CK techniques including credential access methods such as credential dumping and network sniffing, as well as privilege escalation pathways that could result from successful credential compromise. Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including mandatory protocol upgrades to secure authentication methods, network segmentation to limit access to vulnerable appliances, and comprehensive monitoring for suspicious network activity. The recommended remediation involves upgrading to Websense TRITON appliance versions 8.0.0 or later, which properly implement encrypted credential transmission protocols and address the underlying plaintext authentication vulnerability that enables remote attackers to obtain sensitive information through unspecified vectors.