CVE-2016-8018 in VirusScan Enterprise Linux
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Intel Security VirusScan Enterprise Linux (VSEL) 2.0.3 (and earlier) allows authenticated remote attackers to execute unauthorized commands via a crafted user input.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/05/2024
The CVE-2016-8018 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within Intel Security VirusScan Enterprise Linux version 2.0.3 and earlier releases. This vulnerability resides in the web-based administrative interface of the security solution, creating a significant attack vector for authenticated remote adversaries who can manipulate user sessions to execute unauthorized administrative commands. The flaw specifically affects the validation mechanisms that should verify the authenticity of requests originating from legitimate administrative users.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from insufficient protection measures within the VSEL web interface. When authenticated users interact with the administrative console, the system fails to properly validate that requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions rather than maliciously crafted requests. Attackers can exploit this by constructing specially crafted web pages or email attachments that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, automatically submit malicious commands to the VSEL interface without the user's knowledge or consent. This occurs because the application does not implement proper anti-CSRF tokens or other session validation mechanisms that would prevent unauthorized command execution.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it provides attackers with complete administrative control over the VSEL deployment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can modify security policies, disable protection mechanisms, add or remove antivirus definitions, and potentially compromise the entire security posture of the protected environment. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no special privileges beyond having an authenticated session with the administrative interface, making it accessible to anyone who can obtain legitimate administrative credentials through phishing, credential theft, or other means.
Organizations utilizing affected versions of Intel Security VirusScan Enterprise Linux face substantial risk exposure due to this CSRF vulnerability. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it can be delivered through social engineering campaigns that trick administrators into visiting malicious websites, or through email-based attacks that leverage the browser-based nature of the vulnerability. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts and T1566.001 for spearphishing via email, demonstrating the multi-layered attack approach possible with this flaw. Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including patching to the latest available version, implementing proper CSRF token validation, and establishing network segmentation to limit access to administrative interfaces. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure session management practices and proper input validation in enterprise security solutions, as these controls are fundamental to preventing unauthorized administrative access and maintaining the integrity of security infrastructure.