CVE-2021-40173 in Cloud Security Plus
Summary
by MITRE • 08/30/2021
Zoho ManageEngine Cloud Security Plus before Build 4117 allows a CSRF attack on the server proxy settings.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-40173 affects Zoho ManageEngine Cloud Security Plus software prior to build 4117, representing a critical cross-site request forgery weakness that compromises the security of server proxy configurations. This flaw resides within the web application's authentication and authorization mechanisms, specifically targeting the administrative interface used to configure proxy settings for the security platform. The vulnerability enables attackers to manipulate the proxy configuration without proper authorization, potentially allowing them to redirect traffic through malicious proxy servers or disable proxy functionality entirely.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF tokens in the web forms used to modify proxy settings. When administrators access the proxy configuration interface, the application fails to validate that requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions rather than crafted malicious requests. This weakness allows attackers to construct malicious web pages or send specially crafted requests that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, modify proxy settings without their knowledge or consent. The flaw is particularly dangerous because proxy settings control how network traffic flows through the security platform, making it a critical attack vector for network infiltration and data exfiltration.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations using Zoho ManageEngine Cloud Security Plus, as successful exploitation could lead to complete network traffic interception, man-in-the-middle attacks, and unauthorized data access. Attackers could redirect internal traffic through compromised proxy servers, enabling them to monitor sensitive communications, inject malicious content, or establish persistent backdoors within the network infrastructure. The impact extends beyond immediate data compromise to include potential disruption of security monitoring capabilities and complete bypass of network security controls that rely on proper proxy configuration. Organizations may experience loss of network visibility, unauthorized access to sensitive systems, and potential compliance violations due to compromised security controls.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to build 4117 or later versions of Zoho ManageEngine Cloud Security Plus to remediate this vulnerability, as no effective workarounds exist for this particular CSRF implementation. The fix involves implementing proper anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms and ensuring that all administrative functions require valid session tokens before processing configuration changes. Security teams should also conduct thorough network monitoring to detect any suspicious proxy configuration changes that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should review their network security policies and ensure that administrative access to security platforms is restricted through multiple authentication factors and network segmentation to limit potential impact from such vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery weaknesses, and represents a significant concern in the ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation and persistence tactics. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of implementing proper session management and request validation mechanisms in enterprise security platforms, as these systems often serve as central control points for network security infrastructure.