CVE-2016-6642 in ViPR SRM
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in EMC ViPR SRM before 3.7.2 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that upload files.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/18/2019
The CVE-2016-6642 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw discovered in EMC ViPR SRM versions prior to 3.7.2. This vulnerability resides within the web application's authentication and authorization mechanisms, specifically targeting the file upload functionality that administrators use to manage system resources. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the trust relationship between the web application and authenticated administrators, allowing unauthorized execution of administrative actions without proper authentication.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation within the file upload endpoints. When administrators perform file upload operations, the application should verify that requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions rather than maliciously crafted requests from external domains. Without these protective measures, attackers can construct malicious web pages or send specially crafted requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, will perform unauthorized file uploads with elevated privileges. This vulnerability specifically impacts the authentication handling process where session tokens are not adequately validated or where the application fails to enforce strict origin checking mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized file uploads, as it provides attackers with a potential pathway for privilege escalation and system compromise. Administrators who upload files through the vulnerable interface may unknowingly execute malicious payloads that could lead to complete system takeover, data exfiltration, or persistent backdoor installation. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it targets the administrative interface where critical system operations occur, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to gain persistent access to enterprise storage management systems. This flaw directly violates security principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten 2017, specifically addressing the lack of proper input validation and authentication mechanisms.
Organizations using EMC ViPR SRM versions prior to 3.7.2 face significant risk exposure from this vulnerability, as it allows remote exploitation without requiring any authentication credentials from the attacker. The remediation strategy involves implementing proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms that are generated per session and validated on each request, ensuring that file upload operations can only be performed by legitimate administrators. Additionally, organizations should enforce strict origin validation and implement proper session management controls. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which describes Cross-Site Request Forgery, and represents a classic example of how insufficient authentication validation can lead to severe security consequences. The attack pattern follows typical CSRF methodology documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the technique of "Web Application Attack" and specifically relates to "Credential Access" and "Persistence" capabilities that attackers can leverage once they successfully exploit this vulnerability.