CVE-2017-6912 in OX App Suite
Summary
by MITRE
Open-Xchange GmbH OX App Suite 7.8.3 and earlier is affected by: Incorrect Access Control.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/14/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6912 affects Open-Xchange GmbH OX App Suite version 7.8.3 and earlier, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the security posture of email and collaboration platforms. This issue stems from insufficient authorization checks within the application's authentication and session management mechanisms, allowing unauthorized users to potentially access restricted resources and functionality. The vulnerability exists within the core application framework where proper validation of user permissions and access rights fails to occur during critical operations, creating a pathway for privilege escalation and unauthorized data access.
The technical implementation flaw manifests in the application's handling of user sessions and resource access controls, where the system does not adequately verify whether authenticated users possess the necessary permissions to perform specific actions or access particular data sets. This weakness can be exploited through various attack vectors including manipulated API requests, session hijacking, or by leveraging existing user sessions to gain elevated privileges. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the application layer, affecting the fundamental security model that governs user interactions within the platform. Attackers can potentially bypass authentication mechanisms and access sensitive information, modify user data, or perform administrative functions without proper authorization, directly violating the principle of least privilege and role-based access control.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it can enable comprehensive system compromise and data breaches within organizations relying on OX App Suite for their email and collaboration services. Security incidents resulting from this flaw could lead to unauthorized access to confidential communications, user account takeovers, and potential lateral movement within network environments where the application is deployed. Organizations may face regulatory compliance violations, reputational damage, and financial losses due to the exposure of sensitive information. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions indicates a systemic issue in the application's security architecture that requires immediate remediation to prevent exploitation by threat actors who may actively target such weaknesses in email infrastructure systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-6912 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to the latest available version of OX App Suite that addresses the access control implementation flaws. Organizations must conduct comprehensive security assessments to identify any potential exploitation that may have occurred prior to patching, including reviewing access logs and monitoring for anomalous user activities. Network segmentation and additional access controls should be implemented as temporary measures while permanent fixes are deployed, ensuring that even if the vulnerability is exploited, the attacker's access is limited. Security teams should also implement enhanced monitoring for authentication and authorization events, establish incident response procedures for potential exploitation, and consider deploying web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious access patterns. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization, and represents a significant concern under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and credential access tactics, emphasizing the need for robust access control implementations in enterprise collaboration platforms.