CVE-2016-7061 in JBoss Enterprise Application Platform
Summary
by MITRE
An information disclosure vulnerability was found in JBoss Enterprise Application Platform before 7.0.4. It was discovered that when configuring RBAC and marking information as sensitive, users with a Monitor role are able to view the sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/08/2023
The vulnerability described in CVE-2016-7061 represents a critical access control flaw within the JBoss Enterprise Application Platform version 7.0.4 and earlier. This issue stems from improper implementation of Role-Based Access Control mechanisms, specifically failing to enforce proper data classification boundaries. The vulnerability exists in the platform's security architecture where sensitive information that should be restricted to authorized personnel is being inadvertently exposed to users holding only monitoring privileges. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege and data confidentiality enforcement that forms the cornerstone of enterprise security frameworks.
The technical flaw manifests in the platform's RBAC implementation where the system fails to properly validate whether a user with a Monitor role possesses sufficient authorization to access sensitive data that has been explicitly marked as restricted. This information disclosure vulnerability allows unauthorized access to classified information through legitimate monitoring channels, creating a pathway for potential attackers to escalate privileges or gather intelligence about the system's sensitive components. The flaw directly violates established security principles and can be categorized under CWE-284 which addresses improper access control in software applications. The vulnerability essentially undermines the security boundary between different user roles, enabling a lower-privileged user to access data that should only be visible to administrators or users with explicit clearance levels.
Operationally, this vulnerability creates significant impact for organizations deploying JBoss Enterprise Application Platform, as it allows monitoring personnel to access sensitive operational data that could include system configurations, user credentials, or business-critical information. The exposure of such data can lead to further exploitation opportunities including privilege escalation attacks, lateral movement within the network, or comprehensive data breaches. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through legitimate access channels. The impact extends beyond immediate information disclosure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks that leverage the exposed data for system compromise or data exfiltration.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to JBoss Enterprise Application Platform version 7.0.4 or later where this vulnerability has been addressed. Additionally, administrators should review and properly configure role-based access controls to ensure that monitoring roles do not inadvertently gain access to sensitive data classifications. The remediation process should include comprehensive security testing of access control mechanisms and implementation of proper data classification policies. Security teams should also conduct thorough audits of existing user roles and permissions to identify any potential exposure scenarios. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper access control implementation and the necessity of regular security assessments to identify and remediate such configuration flaws that can have far-reaching consequences for enterprise security posture.