CVE-2018-12413 in Messaging - Apache Kafka Distribution - Schema Repository
Summary
by MITRE
The Schema repository server (tibschemad) component of TIBCO Software Inc.'s TIBCO Messaging - Apache Kafka Distribution - Schema Repository - Community Edition, and TIBCO Messaging - Apache Kafka Distribution - Schema Repository - Enterprise Edition contains a vulnerability which may allow an attacker to perform cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks. Affected releases are TIBCO Software Inc. TIBCO Messaging - Apache Kafka Distribution - Schema Repository - Community Edition: 1.0.0, and TIBCO Messaging - Apache Kafka Distribution - Schema Repository - Enterprise Edition: 1.0.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/04/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-12413 resides within the Schema repository server component of TIBCO Software Inc.'s Apache Kafka distribution offerings, specifically affecting both Community and Enterprise editions at version 1.0.0. This represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of the web-based administrative interfaces used to manage schema repositories within TIBCO messaging systems. The affected tibschemad service operates as a backend component responsible for maintaining and serving schema definitions to clients within Kafka-based messaging environments, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise the messaging infrastructure.
The technical flaw manifests as a cross-site request forgery vulnerability that allows malicious actors to execute unauthorized actions against the affected system when a victim user is authenticated. This CSRF weakness occurs because the Schema repository server fails to properly validate the origin of incoming requests, particularly those that modify configuration settings or schema definitions. Attackers can craft malicious web pages or exploit existing user sessions to perform operations such as creating, modifying, or deleting schema entries without proper authorization. The vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or similar protective mechanisms in the web interface components that handle administrative operations, creating an attack surface where legitimate authenticated sessions can be exploited.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to manipulate the core schema definitions that govern message formats and data structures within the Kafka messaging system. This could lead to data corruption, service disruption, or even allow attackers to inject malicious schema definitions that could compromise downstream applications consuming these messages. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it can be executed through social engineering techniques or by exploiting existing user sessions, making it difficult to detect and prevent. Organizations relying on TIBCO's Schema Repository for managing their messaging schemas face significant risk of unauthorized modifications that could disrupt business-critical data flows and compromise system integrity.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses in web applications. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique where attackers leverage existing authenticated sessions to perform unauthorized actions. Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of affected systems to version 1.0.1 or later, implementing proper CSRF token validation mechanisms, and conducting thorough security assessments of all web-based administrative interfaces. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the Schema repository server to untrusted networks, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual administrative activities that might indicate CSRF attack attempts. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure rapid detection and remediation of potential exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability.