CVE-2016-5789 in JTC-200
Summary
by MITRE
A Cross-site Request Forgery issue was discovered in JanTek JTC-200, all versions. An attacker could perform actions with the same permissions as a victim user, provided the victim has an active session and is induced to trigger the malicious request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/24/2019
The CVE-2016-5789 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw affecting all versions of JanTek JTC-200 network security devices. This vulnerability resides within the device's web-based administrative interface, where insufficient validation mechanisms fail to properly authenticate and authorize requests originating from external sources. The flaw allows malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between the device and authenticated users, enabling unauthorized actions through crafted requests that appear legitimate to the target system. The vulnerability specifically impacts the device's session management and request processing logic, creating a pathway for attackers to manipulate administrative functions without proper authentication.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-forgery tokens or similar validation mechanisms within the device's web interface. When a legitimate user maintains an active session with the JTC-200 device, the system fails to verify the origin of subsequent requests, allowing an attacker to construct malicious requests that leverage the victim's existing authenticated session. This flaw operates at the application layer and specifically affects the device's administrative web interface, where users can perform critical configuration changes, view sensitive data, and execute administrative commands. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows attackers to perform administrative actions with the privileges of authenticated users who maintain active sessions. An attacker could potentially modify network configurations, change user accounts, access sensitive system information, or even compromise the entire device if the administrative interface provides full system control. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal user interaction beyond maintaining an active session, making it an attractive target for automated attacks. The affected device represents a network security appliance, meaning successful exploitation could provide attackers with insights into network topology, potentially enabling further lateral movement within the network infrastructure. This vulnerability undermines the fundamental security principle of least privilege, as it allows attackers to perform privileged operations without proper authentication.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-5789 should focus on implementing proper anti-forgery token mechanisms within the device's web interface to ensure that all administrative requests originate from legitimate sources. Device manufacturers should implement CSRF protection measures including unique tokens for each user session that are validated before processing administrative requests. Network administrators should ensure that JTC-200 devices are updated to the latest firmware versions that address this vulnerability, while also implementing network segmentation to limit exposure. Additional protective measures include configuring the device to use HTTPS exclusively, implementing strict access controls, and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of applying security best practices to network appliances, particularly those handling sensitive administrative functions, and highlights the need for regular security assessments of network infrastructure components. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and prevent CSRF attacks targeting such devices.