CVE-2018-1219 in RSA Archer
Summary
by MITRE
EMC RSA Archer, versions prior to 6.2.0.8, contains an improper access control vulnerability on an API which is used to enumerate user information. A remote authenticated malicious user can potentially exploit this vulnerability to gather information about the user base and may use this information in subsequent attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/17/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1219 affects EMC RSA Archer versions prior to 6.2.0.8 and represents a critical improper access control flaw within the application's api endpoint. This weakness resides in the system's authorization mechanisms that govern access to user enumeration functionality, creating a significant security gap that allows malicious actors to bypass normal access restrictions. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the api interface responsible for user information retrieval, making it particularly dangerous as it enables unauthorized data exposure through legitimate system pathways.
The technical implementation of this flaw stems from insufficient validation of user privileges when processing requests to the enumeration api endpoint. An authenticated attacker who has gained access to the system through legitimate means can exploit this weakness to make unauthorized requests that should normally be restricted to privileged users only. The vulnerability manifests when the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user possesses adequate permissions to access the user enumeration functionality, allowing for information disclosure that extends beyond the intended scope of access. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks that violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and principle of least privilege enforcement.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-1219 extends far beyond simple information disclosure, as the gathered user information can serve as a foundation for more sophisticated attacks within the target environment. Attackers can leverage the exposed user data to conduct targeted social engineering campaigns, identify high-value targets for privilege escalation attempts, or map out the organizational user structure for coordinated attacks. The vulnerability creates a reconnaissance opportunity that significantly reduces the effort required for attackers to understand the system's user landscape and identify potential attack vectors. This information can be particularly valuable in planning credential stuffing attacks, identifying users with elevated privileges, or mapping out organizational relationships that could facilitate lateral movement within the compromised environment.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including updating to EMC RSA Archer version 6.2.0.8 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address the improper access control issue. System administrators should also review and enforce proper access controls around api endpoints, ensuring that user enumeration functionality requires appropriate authorization levels and that audit logging is enabled to detect unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability enables adversary techniques related to credential access and reconnaissance, specifically targeting the collection of user accounts and authentication information to support broader attack objectives.
Additional defensive measures should include network segmentation to limit access to api endpoints, implementation of web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious api requests, and regular security assessments to identify similar authorization weaknesses within the application. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper access control implementation in web applications and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing including authorization testing as part of the software development lifecycle. Organizations should also consider implementing automated monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous api usage patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts against similar authorization flaws.