CVE-2017-14956 in USM
Summary
by MITRE
AlienVault USM v5.4.2 and earlier offers authenticated users the functionality of exporting generated reports via the "/ossim/report/wizard_email.php" script. Besides offering an export via a local download, the script also offers the possibility to send out any report via email to a given address (either in PDF or XLS format). Since there is no anti-CSRF token protecting this functionality, it is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/11/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-14956 resides within AlienVault Unified Security Management (USM) version 5.4.2 and earlier installations, specifically targeting the report export functionality exposed through the /ossim/report/wizard_email.php script. This flaw represents a critical security oversight that directly impacts the system's integrity and confidentiality by enabling unauthorized exploitation of authenticated user sessions. The affected component operates within the web application interface of the security platform, which is designed to provide security analysts and administrators with comprehensive reporting capabilities for threat detection and incident response activities. The vulnerability manifests when the application fails to implement proper cross-site request forgery protection mechanisms, leaving the email report export functionality susceptible to malicious exploitation by attackers who can manipulate authenticated sessions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-cross-site request forgery tokens within the report export functionality. When users attempt to send reports via email through the wizard_email.php script, the application processes these requests without validating the authenticity of the originating request, thereby bypassing the essential session validation controls. This omission allows attackers to craft malicious web pages or send specially crafted requests that can trigger the report export functionality on behalf of authenticated users without their knowledge or consent. The flaw specifically affects the email delivery mechanism that supports both PDF and XLS format exports, making it particularly dangerous as it could potentially be exploited to deliver malicious content or to harvest sensitive information from security reports. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) weaknesses in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to compromise the confidentiality of security reports and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive threat intelligence data. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could send unauthorized email reports containing critical security information to predetermined addresses, potentially exposing system vulnerabilities, attack patterns, or incident details that should remain restricted to authorized personnel. The attack vector leverages the trust relationship between the web application and authenticated users, making it particularly insidious as it operates within the legitimate session context of the target user. This could lead to information disclosure, potential data exfiltration, and disruption of security operations. The vulnerability also creates opportunities for attackers to use the compromised functionality as part of broader attack chains, potentially supporting reconnaissance activities or serving as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks.
The security implications of CVE-2017-14956 align with multiple ATT&CK framework techniques, particularly those related to credential access and privilege escalation through web application exploitation. The vulnerability can be leveraged to execute techniques such as T1566.001 (Phishing for Information) when used to deliver malicious reports, or T1078 (Valid Accounts) by exploiting authenticated sessions. Organizations using AlienVault USM versions prior to 5.4.3 should implement immediate mitigations including the installation of available security patches, implementation of web application firewalls, and enforcement of proper session management controls. The recommended remediation approach involves ensuring that all state-changing operations within the web application implement proper CSRF token validation, which aligns with industry best practices outlined in OWASP Top 10 and NIST cybersecurity guidelines. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring of email delivery activities can help detect and prevent unauthorized report exports, while regular security assessments should verify that similar vulnerabilities do not exist in other components of the security infrastructure.