CVE-2020-5517 in 5209R
Summary
by MITRE
CSRF in the /login URI in BlueOnyx 5209R allows an attacker to access the dashboard and perform scraping or other analysis.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-5517 represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the BlueOnyx 5209R web application framework. This security weakness specifically targets the authentication endpoint located at the /login URI, where the application fails to implement proper anti-CSRF mechanisms. The flaw enables malicious actors to craft deceptive requests that can be executed by authenticated users without their knowledge or consent, effectively bypassing the intended security controls designed to protect user sessions and administrative access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or similar protective measures within the login handler. When users navigate to the /login endpoint, the application does not validate the origin or authenticity of incoming requests, allowing attackers to leverage crafted HTTP requests that appear legitimate to the server. This condition creates a pathway for unauthorized access to the administrative dashboard, as successful exploitation can result in session hijacking or privilege escalation. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the authentication layer, where successful exploitation directly translates to unauthorized administrative access.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-5517 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it enables comprehensive reconnaissance and data exfiltration capabilities. Once attackers gain access to the dashboard through this CSRF vulnerability, they can perform extensive scraping operations, extract sensitive configuration data, and conduct detailed analysis of the system's internal structure. This access level provides threat actors with the ability to map network topology, identify additional vulnerabilities, and potentially escalate their privileges to achieve full system compromise. The vulnerability effectively undermines the application's security model by allowing attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms that should protect administrative functions.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery issues in web applications. The flaw also maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1190 for Exploit Public-Facing Application and T1078 for Valid Accounts, as it enables unauthorized access through legitimate authentication mechanisms. Organizations using BlueOnyx 5209R should implement immediate mitigations including the deployment of anti-CSRF tokens, proper request validation, and the implementation of SameSite cookie attributes. Additionally, network segmentation and monitoring of login attempts can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of implementing robust anti-CSRF protections at all authentication endpoints, particularly those that provide access to administrative functions. Security teams should also conduct thorough penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components and ensure comprehensive protection against session manipulation attacks.