CVE-2015-4138 in SSL Visibility Appliance
Summary
by MITRE
The WebUI component in Blue Coat SSL Visibility Appliance SV800, SV1800, SV2800, and SV3800 3.6.x through 3.8.x before 3.8.4 does not include the HTTPOnly flag in a Set-Cookie header for the administrator's cookie, which makes it easier for remote attackers to obtain potentially sensitive information via script access to this cookie, a different vulnerability than CVE-2015-2855.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2015-4138 affects the WebUI component of Blue Coat SSL Visibility Appliance models SV800, SV1800, SV2800, and SV3800 running software versions 3.6.x through 3.8.x before 3.8.4. This issue represents a significant security weakness in the appliance's session management implementation that directly impacts the protection of administrative credentials and sensitive session data. The vulnerability specifically relates to the improper configuration of HTTP cookies used for authentication purposes within the web-based administrative interface.
The technical flaw manifests as the absence of the HTTPOnly flag in Set-Cookie headers that are issued to administrator sessions. The HTTPOnly flag is a critical security feature that prevents client-side script access to cookies, thereby protecting against cross-site scripting attacks where malicious scripts could potentially extract sensitive authentication tokens from the browser's cookie store. Without this flag, the administrator's session cookie becomes accessible to JavaScript running within the browser, creating an exploitable vector for attackers to harvest authentication information through various XSS techniques.
This vulnerability creates a pathway for remote attackers to obtain potentially sensitive information by leveraging script access to the administrator's cookie, which differs from the related CVE-2015-2855 vulnerability. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as it enables attackers to potentially hijack administrative sessions, gain unauthorized access to the appliance's administrative interface, and perform privileged actions that could compromise the entire network visibility infrastructure. The vulnerability affects multiple models and version ranges, indicating a widespread issue within the Blue Coat SSL Visibility product line that would require coordinated patching efforts across deployments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it undermines the fundamental security posture of the SSL visibility appliances, which are designed to monitor and analyze encrypted network traffic for security purposes. If exploited, attackers could gain administrative access to these appliances and potentially manipulate traffic monitoring configurations, disable security features, or even redirect traffic for malicious purposes. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-1004 which addresses the improper use of HTTPOnly cookies and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices recommended by OWASP and other security standards. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566 (Phishing) and T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) as attackers could leverage the compromised session to establish persistent access and conduct advanced persistent threat operations.
Organizations utilizing these appliances should immediately implement the vendor-provided patch version 3.8.4 or higher to remediate the vulnerability. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation to limit access to the administrative interface, configuring strict firewall rules to restrict access to the appliance's web management interface, and monitoring for suspicious authentication attempts or unusual network behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing additional authentication mechanisms such as two-factor authentication and regularly auditing administrative access logs to detect potential unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper cookie security implementation and serves as a reminder of the necessity to follow established security frameworks such as those defined in NIST SP 800-53 and ISO/IEC 27001 for maintaining secure web applications and network infrastructure components.