CVE-2017-14524 in Documentum Administrator
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple open redirect vulnerabilities in OpenText Documentum Administrator 7.2.0180.0055 allow remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via a (1) URL in the startat parameter to xda/help/en/default.htm or (2) /%09/ (slash encoded horizontal tab slash) followed by a domain in the redirectUrl parameter to xda/component/virtuallinkconnect.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/20/2019
The CVE-2017-14524 vulnerability represents a critical open redirect flaw in OpenText Documentum Administrator version 7.2.0180.0055 that exposes organizations to sophisticated phishing and social engineering attacks. This vulnerability manifests through two distinct attack vectors within the web interface of the document management system, creating multiple entry points for malicious actors to exploit user trust and redirect traffic to malicious destinations. The flaw resides in the application's handling of user-supplied parameters in HTTP requests, specifically targeting the startat parameter and redirectUrl parameter within the xda/help/en/default.htm and xda/component/virtuallinkconnect endpoints respectively. These parameters are processed without adequate validation or sanitization, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary URLs that will be executed within the context of the authenticated user's browser session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Documentum Administrator web application. When the application processes the startat parameter in the help endpoint, it fails to validate whether the provided URL destination is within the expected domain or if it represents a legitimate internal path. Similarly, the redirectUrl parameter in the virtuallinkconnect component does not properly sanitize the input before using it to construct redirect headers or JavaScript redirects. The second attack vector utilizing the slash encoded horizontal tab slash sequence represents a sophisticated bypass technique that exploits how certain web servers and applications process URL encoding, allowing attackers to circumvent basic validation controls that might otherwise detect direct URL injection attempts. This vulnerability operates at the application layer and affects the web interface components, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users frequently interact with the Documentum Administrator interface for document management tasks.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-14524 extends beyond simple redirection, creating significant security risks for organizations utilizing OpenText Documentum solutions. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to craft convincing phishing campaigns that appear legitimate to end users, as the redirects originate from trusted internal domains within the organization. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it enables attackers to harvest credentials, sensitive data, or deploy malware through authenticated sessions, potentially compromising entire document management systems. Users who click on malicious links may unknowingly navigate to attacker-controlled domains that mimic legitimate corporate resources, creating a high probability of credential theft and data exfiltration. The attack surface is further expanded by the fact that these vulnerabilities affect both the help documentation interface and the virtual link connection functionality, providing multiple opportunities for exploitation. Organizations may experience unauthorized access to sensitive documents, data leakage, and potential system compromise if attackers successfully establish persistent access through these redirect mechanisms.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation controls, proper URL sanitization, and output encoding for all user-supplied parameters within the affected web endpoints. The implementation of a web application firewall with rules specifically targeting URL redirection patterns and parameter validation can provide additional protection against exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities within the Documentum environment and other web applications. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-601 Open Redirect, which specifically addresses the risk of redirecting users to untrusted domains, and represents a critical weakness in the application's trust model. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566 Phishing and T1071.004 Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols, as it enables attackers to leverage web-based social engineering techniques to compromise user sessions. Patch management procedures should be prioritized to ensure that all instances of OpenText Documentum Administrator are updated to versions that address this vulnerability, while network segmentation and monitoring controls should be implemented to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of implementing comprehensive security awareness training for users to recognize and report suspicious links that may be part of phishing campaigns.