CVE-2016-4315 in Carbon
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in WSO2 Carbon 4.4.5 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of privileged users for requests that shutdown a server via a shutdown action to server-admin/proxy_ajaxprocessor.jsp.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4315 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the WSO2 Carbon 4.4.5 platform that exposes organizations to significant operational risks. This vulnerability specifically targets the server administration interface through the proxy_ajaxprocessor.jsp endpoint, creating a pathway for remote attackers to exploit the authentication mechanisms of privileged users. The flaw enables malicious actors to execute unauthorized server shutdown commands without proper authorization, potentially leading to service disruption and system compromise.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the WSO2 Carbon administrative interface. When privileged users navigate to malicious websites or receive crafted payloads, their browsers automatically submit requests to the vulnerable shutdown endpoint at server-admin/proxy_ajaxprocessor.jsp. The system fails to verify the authenticity of these requests, relying solely on the presence of valid session cookies. This design flaw aligns with CWE-352, which categorizes cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities as those that permit unauthorized commands to be executed on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental weakness in the application's request validation mechanisms, where the absence of CSRF tokens allows attackers to manipulate authenticated sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to encompass potential system compromise and business continuity threats. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform unauthorized server shutdowns, which may result in denial of service conditions that affect critical business operations. Organizations relying on WSO2 Carbon for their middleware infrastructure face the risk of unauthorized access to their administrative functions, potentially leading to further exploitation opportunities. The vulnerability's remote nature means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or local network presence, making it particularly dangerous for organizations with public-facing administrative interfaces. This weakness can be exploited as part of broader attack chains that may include privilege escalation or lateral movement within network environments, as outlined in the ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-4315 must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should implement proper CSRF token validation mechanisms that require unique, unpredictable tokens for each administrative request, ensuring that requests cannot be forged without knowledge of the active session state. The WSO2 Carbon platform should be updated to versions that include proper CSRF protection measures, as the vendor has released patches to address this specific vulnerability. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit exposure of administrative interfaces to trusted networks only. Additionally, organizations should deploy web application firewalls and security monitoring solutions that can detect and block suspicious administrative request patterns. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the WSO2 platform and related systems, ensuring comprehensive protection against CSRF and related attack vectors.