CVE-2016-5401 in JBoss BRMS
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Red Hat JBoss BRMS and BPMS 6 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of users for requests that modify instances via a crafted web page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2020
The CVE-2016-5401 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting Red Hat JBoss Business Rules Management System and Business Process Management System version 6. This vulnerability resides within the web application framework's authentication mechanisms and allows remote attackers to manipulate user sessions through maliciously crafted web pages. The flaw specifically targets the system's ability to validate legitimate requests from authenticated users, creating a pathway for unauthorized modifications to system instances. The vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental weakness in the application's anti-CSRF protection measures, which are essential for maintaining the integrity of user sessions and preventing unauthorized actions. According to CWE-352, this vulnerability maps directly to the classic cross-site request forgery category, where the attacker exploits the trust relationship between a web application and a user's browser. The impact extends beyond simple data theft, as the vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary actions within the target system with the privileges of authenticated users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence or weakness of proper CSRF token validation within the JBoss BRMS and BPMS 6 web interfaces. When users navigate to legitimate web pages within the system, their browser automatically includes authentication cookies and session identifiers in requests. However, the system fails to properly validate that requests originate from legitimate user interactions rather than automated malicious pages. Attackers can construct specially crafted HTML pages or web content that, when viewed by an authenticated user, automatically submits requests to the vulnerable JBoss system. These requests appear legitimate to the server because they contain valid session information, but they are initiated by the attacker's malicious page rather than the user's intentional actions. The vulnerability specifically affects operations that modify system instances, making it particularly dangerous for business process management and rules management environments where unauthorized changes could disrupt critical business operations or compromise sensitive business logic.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-5401 extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as it provides attackers with the capability to manipulate business processes and rules within the target environment. For organizations utilizing JBoss BRMS and BPMS 6 for critical business operations, this vulnerability could result in significant financial losses, process disruptions, and potential compliance violations. The attacker could modify business rules, alter process flows, or manipulate data within the system without detection, potentially affecting multiple business functions simultaneously. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which describes social engineering attacks that manipulate users into executing malicious actions. The attack vector relies on user trust and the automatic nature of browser behavior, making it particularly effective in enterprise environments where users frequently interact with web-based business applications. Organizations may face challenges in detecting such attacks since the malicious actions appear to originate from legitimate authenticated users, creating difficulties in forensic analysis and incident response.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-5401 require immediate implementation of proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the JBoss web applications. Organizations should ensure that all state-changing operations require validation of anti-CSRF tokens that are unique per session and properly generated for each user interaction. The implementation should follow established security practices including the use of synchronizer tokens, which are random values generated server-side and embedded in web forms or API requests. Additionally, organizations should implement proper Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution and enhance overall web application security. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and following secure coding practices that include comprehensive input validation and proper session management. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous patterns in user behavior or unusual request patterns that may indicate CSRF attacks. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the broader application ecosystem and ensure that anti-CSRF protections remain effective against evolving attack techniques.