CVE-2019-3632 in Enterprise Security Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Directory Traversal vulnerability in McAfee Enterprise Security Manager (ESM) prior to 11.2.0 and prior to 10.4.0 allows authenticated user to gain elevated privileges via specially crafted input.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/09/2023
The CVE-2019-3632 vulnerability represents a critical directory traversal flaw within McAfee Enterprise Security Manager software, affecting versions prior to 11.2.0 and 10.4.0 releases. This vulnerability specifically targets the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the security management platform, creating a pathway for authenticated attackers to escalate their privileges and potentially access sensitive system resources. The flaw resides in how the system processes user input, particularly when handling file paths and directory references within its administrative interfaces. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization practices that fail to properly restrict or filter malicious path traversal sequences, allowing attackers to manipulate system file access through crafted requests.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability enables an authenticated user to exploit improper input handling by constructing malicious requests that traverse directory structures beyond the intended boundaries. Attackers can leverage this weakness to access restricted files, directories, and system resources that should normally be protected from unauthorized access. The flaw operates by bypassing normal access controls through specially crafted input sequences that manipulate the application's file resolution logic. This type of vulnerability falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as path traversal or directory traversal attacks. The vulnerability's impact is significantly amplified by the fact that it requires only authenticated access, meaning that an attacker who has already compromised credentials can leverage this flaw to escalate their privileges within the system.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses substantial risk to enterprise security infrastructure as it allows for privilege escalation from authenticated user accounts to elevated system privileges. The compromised system could potentially provide access to sensitive configuration files, logs, and other administrative resources that contain critical security information. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could gain access to system management interfaces, modify security policies, access audit trails, and potentially establish persistent access points within the network infrastructure. The vulnerability's exploitation capability extends beyond simple file access to include potential system compromise, making it particularly dangerous for security management platforms that serve as central control points for enterprise security operations. This type of vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers Valid Accounts and privilege escalation tactics, where attackers leverage legitimate credentials to gain higher privileges.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches and updates for McAfee ESM versions 10.4.0 and 11.2.0, which address the input validation issues that enable this directory traversal. Network segmentation and access control measures should be enhanced to limit the impact of potential exploitation, particularly by restricting access to administrative interfaces from trusted networks only. Additional defensive measures include implementing robust input validation at multiple layers, monitoring for suspicious file access patterns, and conducting regular security assessments of the ESM environment. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper access control implementation and input sanitization practices that align with security standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks. Organizations should also consider implementing automated vulnerability scanning tools to detect similar issues in other applications and systems within their environment, as directory traversal vulnerabilities remain common across various software platforms and can lead to significant security breaches when exploited by threat actors.