CVE-2015-8152 in Endpoint Protection Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM) 12.1 before RU6-MP4 allows remote authenticated users to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that execute arbitrary code by adding lines to a logging script.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/10/2022
The CVE-2015-8152 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager version 12.1 prior to RU6-MP4. This vulnerability specifically targets the administrative authentication mechanisms of the SEPM system, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this endpoint protection solution. The flaw enables remote authenticated attackers to exploit the system's trust model and execute unauthorized administrative actions through carefully crafted requests that appear legitimate to the target system.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms within the SEPM's administrative interfaces. When administrators interact with the logging script functionality, the system fails to properly verify that requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, will trigger arbitrary code execution within the SEPM's administrative context. The vulnerability specifically manifests when attackers add malicious lines to logging scripts, which then execute with the privileges of the administrator who processes these scripts.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-8152 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it allows attackers to gain full administrative control over the SEPM instance. This provides attackers with the ability to modify security policies, add or remove endpoints from protection, access sensitive configuration data, and potentially pivot to other systems within the network. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires only authenticated access to the SEPM system, which may be obtained through other means such as credential theft or phishing attacks. Once an attacker has administrative privileges, they can effectively compromise the entire endpoint protection infrastructure, rendering the security controls ineffective and potentially enabling further lateral movement within the network.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including applying the appropriate Symantec security patches and updates, specifically RU6-MP4 or later versions that address this CSRF weakness. Network segmentation and monitoring of administrative activities should be enhanced to detect suspicious script modifications or unusual administrative requests. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which categorizes cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of the attack vector. Additional defensive measures include implementing strict access controls for administrative interfaces, enabling multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, and conducting regular security audits of administrative scripts and configurations to detect unauthorized modifications that could exploit this vulnerability.