CVE-2017-5657 in Archiva
Summary
by MITRE
Several REST service endpoints of Apache Archiva are not protected against Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks. A malicious site opened in the same browser as the archiva site, may send an HTML response that performs arbitrary actions on archiva services, with the same rights as the active archiva session (e.g. administrator rights).
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/25/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5657 represents a critical security flaw in Apache Archiva's web interface that stems from inadequate protection against cross site request forgery attacks. This weakness allows attackers to exploit the trust relationship between the web application and its users, potentially enabling unauthorized actions within the system. The vulnerability specifically affects REST service endpoints that lack proper CSRF protection mechanisms, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate the application's behavior through crafted requests.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs because Apache Archiva's REST endpoints do not validate the origin or authenticity of requests originating from external domains. When a user maintains an active session with Archiva, any malicious website opened in the same browser can leverage the user's authenticated context to perform unauthorized operations. This flaw operates at the application layer where the web framework fails to implement proper CSRF token validation or origin checking mechanisms. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery issues in web applications, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002 related to data from information repositories.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe, particularly for organizations relying on Apache Archiva for artifact management and repository operations. An attacker with access to a user's browser session could execute administrative functions such as creating or modifying repository configurations, uploading malicious artifacts, deleting critical data, or modifying user permissions. The risk is amplified because the malicious site can operate in the same browser context as the legitimate Archiva application, making it difficult for users to distinguish between legitimate and malicious requests. This vulnerability essentially allows privilege escalation from regular user to administrator level, depending on the user's access rights within the system.
Organizations should implement multiple layers of mitigation to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves implementing robust CSRF protection mechanisms including the use of anti-forgery tokens that are generated per session and validated on each request. Additionally, implementing proper origin validation and referer header checking can help detect and prevent unauthorized cross domain requests. Organizations should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to restrict the domains from which scripts can be executed. The mitigation strategy should include regular security assessments and code reviews to ensure that all REST endpoints properly validate request authenticity. System administrators should also enforce strict access controls and monitor for unusual administrative activities that might indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlights the importance of comprehensive security testing for web applications and demonstrates the critical need for proper input validation and request origin verification in enterprise software systems.