CVE-2016-6578 in FileCloud
Summary
by MITRE
CodeLathe FileCloud, version 13.0.0.32841 and earlier, contains a global cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability. An attacker can 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 • 12/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-6578 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within CodeLathe FileCloud software version 13.0.0.32841 and earlier releases. This vulnerability operates under the Common Weakness Enumeration classification of CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. The flaw enables attackers to exploit the trust relationship between authenticated users and the vulnerable application, allowing unauthorized actions to be performed on behalf of legitimate users who maintain active sessions.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper validation mechanisms for cross-origin requests within the FileCloud application framework. When a victim user maintains an active session with the FileCloud system, their browser automatically includes authentication cookies and session tokens with every request to the application. An attacker can craft malicious web pages or email attachments that, when viewed or triggered by the victim, automatically submit requests to the FileCloud server using the victim's authenticated session. These malicious requests appear legitimate to the server because they contain valid session identifiers and authentication credentials.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification. Since the malicious actions are performed with the victim's permissions and privileges, attackers can potentially access sensitive user data, modify file permissions, create or delete files, and perform administrative functions depending on the victim's role within the system. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations that rely on FileCloud for document management and collaboration, as it could lead to unauthorized data access, data corruption, or complete system compromise if attackers target users with elevated privileges. The attack vector requires user interaction, typically through social engineering techniques such as phishing emails or compromised websites, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently interact with external content.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-6578 should focus on implementing robust CSRF protection mechanisms including the use of anti-CSRF tokens that are generated for each user session and validated on every state-changing request. Organizations should also implement proper referer header validation and utilize the SameSite cookie attributes to prevent cross-origin requests from being automatically authenticated. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which describes social engineering via phishing attacks, as the successful exploitation typically requires user interaction with malicious content. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and ensuring regular security updates can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation. Organizations should also consider network segmentation and monitoring for unusual authentication patterns that could indicate unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing comprehensive security controls that address both application-level and user interaction-based attack vectors.