CVE-2020-35722 in Policy Authority
Summary
by MITRE • 01/11/2021
** UNSUPPORTED WHEN ASSIGNED ** CSRF in Web Compliance Manager in Quest Policy Authority 8.1.2.200 allows remote attackers to force user modification/creation via a specially crafted link to the submitUser.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 • 05/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-35722 represents a cross-site request forgery flaw within Quest Policy Authority's Web Compliance Manager component version 8.1.2.200. This security weakness resides in the application's handling of user management operations through the submitUser.jsp endpoint, which processes user modification and creation requests. The vulnerability manifests when remote attackers can construct malicious links that, when clicked by authenticated users, automatically execute unauthorized user management operations without proper authorization checks. This particular flaw falls under the category of CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities in web applications. The attack vector exploits the absence of proper anti-CSRF mechanisms such as synchronizer tokens or origin validation checks that should normally be implemented to verify the authenticity of requests originating from legitimate user sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it enables attackers to manipulate user accounts within the compliance management system. When an authenticated user visits a malicious webpage containing the crafted link, the browser automatically submits a request to the submitUser.jsp endpoint, potentially creating new user accounts, modifying existing user permissions, or altering user attributes without the user's knowledge or consent. This type of vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive compliance data, modification of audit trails, or creation of backdoor accounts that persist even after the initial attack. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.001 which covers abuse of credentials and privilege escalation through compromised user accounts, while also mapping to the broader category of credential access and privilege escalation attacks.
The technical exploitation requires minimal prerequisites as attackers only need to convince users to click on malicious links, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in social engineering campaigns. The vulnerability exists because the Web Compliance Manager component lacks proper request validation mechanisms that would normally be implemented in secure web applications. Organizations using unsupported software versions face increased risk as vendors no longer provide security patches or updates to address such flaws. The lack of ongoing support means that even if a patch existed, it would not be available for deployment, leaving systems permanently vulnerable. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining supported software versions and the dangers associated with legacy systems that continue to operate without proper security updates. The impact is particularly severe in compliance environments where user account management directly affects audit controls and regulatory adherence, potentially compromising the integrity of compliance monitoring processes.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate remediation through software updates or version upgrades to supported releases of Quest Policy Authority. Organizations should implement additional network-level controls such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious requests to sensitive endpoints like submitUser.jsp. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive reviews of user account management processes and implement multi-factor authentication for administrative functions. The vulnerability underscores the necessity of regular vulnerability assessments and software lifecycle management practices that ensure timely patch deployment and proper end-of-life management for enterprise security tools. Given that this vulnerability affects unsupported software, organizations should prioritize migration to supported platforms that receive regular security updates and maintain active vendor support agreements.