CVE-2015-7675 in MOVEit DMZ
Summary
by MITRE
The "Send as attachment" feature in Ipswitch MOVEit DMZ before 8.2 and MOVEit Mobile before 1.2.2 allow remote authenticated users to bypass authorization and read uploaded files via a valid FileID in the (1) serverFileIds parameter to mobile/sendMsg or (2) arg01 parameter to human.aspx.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/07/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7675 represents a critical authorization bypass flaw within Ipswitch MOVEit DMZ and MOVEit Mobile products. This issue affects versions prior to 8.2 for DMZ and 1.2.2 for Mobile, where the authentication mechanisms fail to properly validate file access permissions. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation in the file handling processes, specifically within the mobile communication endpoints that manage file attachments and transfers. Attackers can exploit this weakness by manipulating specific parameters in HTTP requests to gain unauthorized access to files that should be restricted to authorized users only.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of FileID parameters within the web service interfaces of these applications. When users authenticate successfully to the system, they are granted access to certain file resources through legitimate FileID references. However, the flaw allows attackers to construct malicious requests that bypass the normal authorization checks by directly specifying valid FileIDs in either the serverFileIds parameter of the mobile/sendMsg endpoint or the arg01 parameter of the human.aspx interface. This represents a classic case of insecure direct object reference where the application fails to verify that the authenticated user has legitimate access rights to the requested resource.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized file access, potentially enabling data exfiltration and information disclosure attacks. An attacker with valid credentials can leverage this flaw to read files that are uploaded to the system and accessible via the mobile communication channels. This includes potentially sensitive documents, configuration files, or other data that should remain protected within the organization's secure communication environment. The vulnerability essentially allows for privilege escalation through unauthorized file access, where legitimate users can access files beyond their intended scope, creating a significant risk for data confidentiality and integrity.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses insufficient authorization checks in software systems. The flaw demonstrates a failure in implementing proper access control mechanisms that should validate user permissions before granting access to file resources. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under privilege escalation and credential access techniques, where attackers can leverage valid credentials to access unauthorized resources. Organizations using affected versions of MOVEit DMZ and MOVEit Mobile face potential exposure to insider threats or external attackers who can exploit this vulnerability to gain access to sensitive information that should be protected by the system's authorization controls.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate patching of affected systems to version 8.2 for MOVEit DMZ and 1.2.2 for MOVEit Mobile, which contain the necessary authorization validation fixes. Additionally, organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of these services to unauthorized users. Regular security audits and penetration testing should verify that proper access controls are in place and that file access permissions are correctly enforced. System administrators should also monitor for suspicious file access patterns and implement logging controls to detect potential exploitation attempts of this vulnerability. The fix addresses the root cause by implementing proper validation of FileID parameters against user permissions before granting access to requested files, thereby preventing the direct object reference attack vector that enables unauthorized file access.