CVE-2020-35205 in Policy Authority
Summary
by MITRE • 01/11/2021
** UNSUPPORTED WHEN ASSIGNED ** Server Side Request Forgery (SSRF) in Web Compliance Manager in Quest Policy Authority version 8.1.2.200 allows attackers to scan internal ports and make outbound connections via the initFile.jsp file. NOTE: This vulnerability only affects products that are no longer supported by the maintainer.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/04/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical server side request forgery flaw in Quest Policy Authority's Web Compliance Manager component. The issue manifests through the initFile.jsp file which fails to properly validate user input, allowing malicious actors to manipulate the application's behavior. The vulnerability specifically affects version 8.1.2.200 of the software, which is now considered unsupported by the vendor, making remediation challenging for affected organizations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization within the web application's request handling mechanism. When the initFile.jsp component processes user-supplied parameters, it does not properly validate or sanitize the input before using it to construct outbound requests. This allows attackers to craft malicious requests that bypass normal network restrictions and potentially access internal systems that would otherwise be isolated from external networks. The flaw essentially enables attackers to use the vulnerable application as a proxy for making arbitrary network requests.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for organizations that continue to use unsupported software versions. Attackers can leverage this SSRF flaw to perform internal port scanning activities, potentially discovering additional vulnerable systems within the internal network. The ability to make outbound connections through the compromised application opens pathways for lateral movement and further exploitation. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-918 which specifically addresses server-side request forgery vulnerabilities where attackers can manipulate the target of a request to point to unintended resources.
The impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple network scanning capabilities. Organizations may face unauthorized data access, internal system compromise, and potential exfiltration of sensitive information. The fact that this affects an unsupported product version compounds the risk as no official patches or updates are available to address the underlying flaw. Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability as part of broader attack surface management strategies, particularly in environments where legacy systems continue to operate without proper maintenance.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability are limited due to the unsupported nature of the affected software version. Organizations should consider immediate network segmentation to isolate the vulnerable application from critical internal systems. Implementing network firewalls and access control lists can help restrict outbound connections from the affected system. Additionally, security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual outbound network activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1071.004 highlights the importance of monitoring for protocol-specific network communications and unusual request patterns that could indicate SSRF exploitation attempts.