CVE-2015-5176 in JBoss Portal
Summary
by MITRE
The PortletRequestDispatcher in PortletBridge, as used in Red Hat JBoss Portal 6.2.0, does not properly enforce the security constraints of servlets, which allows remote attackers to gain access to resources via a request that asks to render a non-JSF resource.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/23/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5176 represents a critical security flaw in the PortletRequestDispatcher component of PortletBridge within Red Hat JBoss Portal 6.2.0. This issue stems from improper enforcement of security constraints that should normally protect servlet resources from unauthorized access. The vulnerability exists in the way the system handles requests for rendering non-JSF resources, creating a pathway for malicious actors to bypass intended access controls. The flaw specifically impacts the security model of the portal environment where servlet-level protections are not adequately enforced during portlet request processing. This allows attackers to exploit the system's trust in certain request paths without proper authentication or authorization checks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when a malicious request is crafted to ask the system to render a non-JSF resource through the portlet dispatcher mechanism. The PortletRequestDispatcher fails to validate whether the requesting user has appropriate permissions to access the target resource, effectively creating a bypass of the normal security boundaries that should exist between different types of portal resources. This misconfiguration enables attackers to access protected servlet resources that should only be available to authenticated users with specific roles. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the integration layer where portlet and servlet functionalities intersect, making it difficult to detect through standard security scanning mechanisms.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability exposes organizations running affected JBoss Portal versions to significant risk of unauthorized data access and potential system compromise. Attackers can leverage this flaw to access sensitive resources that may contain confidential information, administrative functions, or other protected components within the portal environment. The vulnerability essentially allows for privilege escalation and information disclosure attacks, potentially enabling attackers to gain deeper access to the underlying application infrastructure. Organizations may face regulatory compliance issues and reputational damage if such unauthorized access results in data breaches or system compromises. The impact extends beyond immediate data exposure to include potential denial of service conditions and further exploitation opportunities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-5176 should prioritize immediate patching of affected JBoss Portal installations to the latest security releases provided by Red Hat. Organizations should also implement additional security controls including network segmentation, web application firewalls, and enhanced monitoring of portal access patterns. The implementation of proper input validation and request filtering mechanisms can help reduce the attack surface until full patches are applied. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other instances where similar dispatcher-based vulnerabilities might exist within the portal architecture. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be performed to ensure that security controls remain effective against evolving threat vectors. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control, and represents a typical example of how insufficient privilege enforcement can lead to security breaches in enterprise portal systems. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this as a privilege escalation technique, specifically targeting the 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' tactic where attackers leverage application-level weaknesses to gain elevated access rights.