CVE-2017-5481 in OfficeScan
Summary
by MITRE
Trend Micro OfficeScan 11.0 before SP1 CP 6325 and XG before CP 1352 allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges by leveraging a leak of an encrypted password during a web-console operation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5481 affects Trend Micro OfficeScan versions 11.0 before SP1 CP 6325 and XG before CP 1352, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote authenticated attackers to escalate their privileges through a specific weakness in the web-console authentication process. This vulnerability falls under the category of privilege escalation and specifically targets the authentication mechanism that handles encrypted password transmission within the Trend Micro OfficeScan management interface.
The technical flaw stems from a memory leak or improper handling of encrypted password data during web-console operations, where sensitive authentication credentials are inadvertently exposed or leaked during the normal operation of the security management console. This weakness allows attackers who have already established a valid authenticated session to exploit the system's handling of encrypted credentials, potentially gaining elevated privileges within the OfficeScan environment. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it leverages legitimate authentication flows rather than requiring exploitation of additional weaknesses, making it more difficult to detect and prevent.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it can enable attackers to gain administrative access to the OfficeScan management console, potentially allowing them to modify security policies, disable protection features, or access sensitive configuration data. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege and can compromise the integrity of the entire OfficeScan deployment, as the attacker could manipulate security settings to bypass protection mechanisms or establish persistent access to the network. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on Trend Micro OfficeScan for endpoint protection, potentially exposing their entire security infrastructure to unauthorized manipulation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-5481 should prioritize immediate patching of affected OfficeScan versions to the recommended service packs and cumulative patches that address the specific memory leak or credential handling issue. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the OfficeScan web-console to only authorized administrative users and establish strict access controls and monitoring of authentication events. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which describes improper exposure of sensitive information, and represents a classic case where insufficient input validation and improper handling of authentication credentials creates a pathway for privilege escalation attacks. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual authentication patterns and ensure that all administrative access to security management consoles is protected through multi-factor authentication and regular security audits to prevent exploitation of such vulnerabilities.