CVE-2015-5412 in Version Control Repository Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in HP Version Control Repository Manager (VCRM) before 7.5.0 allows remote authenticated users to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/13/2022
The CVE-2015-5412 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in HP Version Control Repository Manager VCRM versions prior to 7.5.0. This vulnerability resides within the authentication and session management mechanisms of the web-based administrative interface, creating a significant security risk for organizations utilizing HP's version control solutions. The vulnerability affects remote authenticated users who can potentially exploit this weakness to hijack active sessions of other legitimate users within the system. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that multiple pathways exist for exploitation, making the vulnerability particularly concerning from a security perspective.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens in critical administrative operations. When authenticated users navigate to malicious websites or are tricked into clicking crafted links, the vulnerable system fails to properly verify that requests originate from legitimate sources within the same session context. This allows attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of victims who are authenticated to the VCRM system. The flaw specifically impacts the web interface components responsible for managing version control repositories and system configurations, potentially enabling attackers to modify repository settings, access sensitive data, or perform administrative functions without proper authorization. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which categorizes cross-site request forgery as a fundamental web application security weakness.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to compromise the integrity and confidentiality of version control systems that organizations rely upon for software development lifecycle management. Organizations using affected VCRM versions face risks of unauthorized code modifications, repository corruption, and potential data exfiltration from their development environments. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise settings where version control repositories contain sensitive source code, configuration files, and development artifacts that could be exploited for further attacks. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to plant malicious code in repositories, manipulate build processes, or gain persistence within development environments. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566 (Phishing) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) as attackers would typically need to establish initial access through social engineering before exploiting this CSRF weakness.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-5412 require immediate patching of affected VCRM installations to version 7.5.0 or later, which includes proper CSRF token implementation and enhanced request validation mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional security controls such as network segmentation, strict access controls, and monitoring of administrative activities to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should conduct comprehensive assessments of their version control environments to identify other potential CSRF vulnerabilities in related systems and applications. The patch addresses the root cause by implementing proper anti-CSRF token generation and validation, ensuring that all administrative requests contain unique tokens that correlate with the user's current session. Additionally, organizations should review their web application security practices and consider implementing web application firewalls to provide additional protection layers against similar vulnerabilities in other applications within their infrastructure.