CVE-2018-17168 in PrinterOn Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE
PrinterOn Enterprise 4.1.4 contains multiple Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in the Administration page. For example, an administrator, by following a link, can be tricked into making unwanted changes to a printer (Disable, Approve, etc).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2023
The CVE-2018-17168 vulnerability affects PrinterOn Enterprise version 4.1.4 and represents a critical cross site request forgery flaw within the administration interface. This vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper anti-csrf mechanisms in its administrative functions, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on this print management solution. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate administrative functions through deceptive means, potentially compromising the entire print infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the administration page where printer management functions such as disabling or approving printers are accessible. When an administrator visits a malicious webpage containing crafted requests, the browser automatically executes these requests against the PrinterOn Enterprise application without the user's knowledge or consent. This occurs because the application does not validate the origin of requests or require tokens that would confirm legitimate administrative actions. The vulnerability specifically affects the administrative interface where printer configurations are managed, making it particularly dangerous for environments where multiple users have administrative access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it enables attackers to manipulate printer configurations in ways that can disrupt business operations and create security gaps. An attacker could disable critical printers, approve unauthorized print jobs, or modify printer settings to redirect output to unintended destinations. This could result in print job interception, denial of service conditions, or unauthorized access to sensitive documents. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires minimal user interaction beyond visiting a malicious link, making it highly effective in social engineering campaigns. Organizations using PrinterOn Enterprise 4.1.4 face potential exposure to unauthorized printer management actions that could compromise document security and operational continuity.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 Valid Accounts and T1566 Phishing techniques, as it exploits legitimate administrative accounts through deception. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including the deployment of anti-csrf tokens, implementing proper request origin validation, and restricting administrative access to trusted networks. Additionally, regular security updates and patch management protocols should be enforced to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in other components of the print infrastructure. Network segmentation and monitoring of administrative activities can provide additional layers of defense against unauthorized printer configuration changes that could result from this type of vulnerability.