CVE-2015-5970 in ZENworks Configuration Management
Summary
by MITRE
The ChangePassword RPC method in Novell ZENworks Configuration Management (ZCM) 11.3 and 11.4 allows remote attackers to conduct XPath injection attacks, and read arbitrary text files, via a malformed query involving a system entity reference.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5970 affects Novell ZENworks Configuration Management version 11.3 and 11.4, specifically targeting the ChangePassword RPC method. This issue represents a critical security flaw that enables remote attackers to exploit XPath injection techniques, fundamentally compromising the system's authentication and authorization mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the RPC method, which processes user authentication requests for password changes. Attackers can manipulate the system entity reference within the malformed XPath queries to bypass normal authentication procedures and gain unauthorized access to sensitive system resources. The flaw exists at the application layer where the RPC interface fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into XPath expressions used for database queries.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully crafted XPath injection payloads that leverage the system entity reference mechanism to manipulate the underlying XML processing. When the ChangePassword method processes a malformed query containing malicious XPath syntax, the application fails to properly escape or validate the input, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary XPath expressions. This injection enables attackers to traverse the XML document structure and extract sensitive information from system files that should remain protected. The vulnerability specifically targets the XML parsing functionality within the ZENworks management interface, where the system processes authentication requests through RPC calls. The lack of proper input sanitization creates an environment where attackers can manipulate the XPath evaluation process to access unauthorized data, potentially including user credentials, system configurations, or other sensitive information stored in the XML database.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-5970 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it fundamentally undermines the security posture of organizations relying on ZENworks Configuration Management. Remote attackers can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges, conduct unauthorized system access, and potentially move laterally within the network infrastructure. The ability to read arbitrary text files through XPath injection creates opportunities for attackers to extract sensitive configuration data, user account information, and system credentials that could be used for further exploitation. Organizations using affected ZENworks versions face significant risk of unauthorized access to their managed systems, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects the core authentication functionality of the system, meaning that any user with network access to the RPC interface could exploit this flaw without requiring prior authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where system availability and integrity are paramount.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-5970 should focus on immediate patch application from Novell, as the vendor has released security updates addressing this specific vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the ZENworks RPC interfaces, particularly restricting access to only trusted administrative networks. Input validation and sanitization measures should be strengthened throughout the application layer to prevent XPath injection attacks, including proper escaping of special characters in user inputs and implementing whitelisting mechanisms for XML processing. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous RPC query patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while network traffic analysis can help identify suspicious XPath injection attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-643, which specifically addresses XPath injection weaknesses, and represents a common attack vector that falls under ATT&CK technique T1212 for exploitation of remote services. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to provide additional protection against such injection attacks, and conduct thorough security assessments to identify any other potential XPath injection vulnerabilities within their ZENworks deployments or similar systems.