CVE-2018-7690 in Fortify Software Security Center
Summary
by MITRE
A potential Remote Unauthorized Access in Micro Focus Fortify Software Security Center (SSC), versions 17.10, 17.20, 18.10 this exploitation could allow Remote Unauthorized Access
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-7690 represents a critical security flaw in Micro Focus Fortify Software Security Center version 17.10, 17.20, and 18.10 that could potentially enable remote unauthorized access to the system. This vulnerability specifically affects the web application interface of the Fortify SSC platform, which is widely used for static application security testing and vulnerability management within enterprise environments. The flaw exists in the authentication and authorization mechanisms that govern access to the security center's administrative and operational functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper access control enforcement within the Fortify SSC web application. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests that bypass the normal authentication procedures, potentially gaining access to sensitive security data, administrative controls, and configuration settings. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-287 category of improper authentication, which is a fundamental security weakness that allows unauthorized users to assume the identity of legitimate users or gain elevated privileges within the system. The flaw specifically impacts the application's ability to properly verify user credentials and enforce access restrictions, creating a pathway for remote attackers to compromise the security center.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it could enable attackers to manipulate security testing results, modify configuration settings, or extract sensitive data from the Fortify SSC environment. Organizations using these affected versions face significant risk of security breaches where attackers could potentially access source code analysis results, vulnerability assessments, and security configuration data that would normally be restricted to authorized personnel only. The implications are particularly severe in enterprise environments where the Fortify SSC serves as a central hub for managing security vulnerabilities across multiple applications and development projects. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and could allow attackers to escalate their privileges within the security infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-7690 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems with the vendor-provided security updates. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the Fortify SSC to trusted networks only, and deploy additional authentication layers such as multi-factor authentication where possible. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting, indicating that attackers could leverage this flaw to establish persistent access or move laterally within the network. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security audits of their Fortify SSC deployments to identify any potential compromise and implement monitoring solutions that can detect unusual access patterns or unauthorized attempts to exploit the vulnerability. The remediation process should also include reviewing and strengthening access control policies for the security center, ensuring that only authorized personnel have appropriate levels of access to the system's administrative functions and sensitive data.