CVE-2020-12133 in Evolution
Summary
by MITRE
The Apros Evolution, ConsciusMap, and Furukawa provisioning systems through 2.8.1 allow remote code execution because of javax.faces.ViewState Java deserialization.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/03/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-12133 affects critical infrastructure provisioning systems including Apros Evolution, ConsciusMap, and Furukawa platforms up to version 2.8.1. This represents a severe remote code execution flaw that enables attackers to execute arbitrary commands on affected systems without requiring authentication. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of Java deserialization within the javax.faces.ViewState component, which is commonly used in java server faces applications for maintaining client-side state. This flaw exists in the core framework components that manage user interface state persistence and session management.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-502 which describes unsafe deserialization vulnerabilities where untrusted data is deserialized without proper validation. The javax.faces.ViewState parameter in web applications typically contains serialized Java objects that represent the state of the user interface. When these objects are deserialized without adequate security checks, attackers can inject malicious serialized objects that execute arbitrary code during the deserialization process. This vulnerability specifically affects the Java deserialization mechanism used by the JSF framework, where the ViewState parameter is processed server-side without proper input sanitization or object validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is extremely severe as it allows remote attackers to gain complete control over affected systems. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious code, escalate privileges, access sensitive data, modify system configurations, or establish persistent backdoors. The attack surface includes all systems running the affected provisioning software versions, potentially compromising critical infrastructure management platforms that handle sensitive operational data. This vulnerability particularly affects industrial control systems and network infrastructure provisioning environments where these platforms are commonly deployed.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including patching affected systems to the latest versions that address the deserialization vulnerability, disabling unnecessary java deserialization functionality where possible, and implementing network segmentation to limit access to these systems. The mitigation strategy should also include monitoring for suspicious deserialization activities and implementing proper input validation for all user-supplied data. Security controls should align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which covers execution through Java deserialization, and organizations should consider deploying application firewalls and web application firewalls to detect and block malicious deserialization attempts. Additionally, implementing secure coding practices that avoid unsafe deserialization patterns and using alternative state management mechanisms can provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities.