CVE-2022-25628 in Symantec Identity Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 12/16/2022
An authenticated user can perform XML eXternal Entity injection in Management Console in Symantec Identity Manager 14.4
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2026
The vulnerability CVE-2022-25628 represents a critical security flaw in Symantec Identity Manager 14.4 that allows authenticated users to execute XML External Entity injection attacks against the Management Console. This vulnerability falls under the category of CWE-611, which specifically addresses XML external entity processing vulnerabilities that can lead to information disclosure, denial of service, and potentially remote code execution. The flaw exists within the XML processing functionality of the management interface, where user-supplied XML data is not properly sanitized before being parsed by the underlying XML parser. Attackers with valid authentication credentials can leverage this weakness to inject malicious XML entities that reference external resources, potentially enabling them to access internal network resources, exfiltrate sensitive data, or cause system disruption.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the XML parsing components of Symantec Identity Manager's Management Console. When an authenticated user submits XML content through the console interface, the system processes this data without adequate protection against external entity references. This weakness is particularly dangerous because it operates within a privileged context where legitimate users already possess valid credentials, making detection more challenging. The attack vector involves crafting specially formatted XML payloads that contain external entity declarations, which when processed by the vulnerable XML parser, can trigger unauthorized network requests or file access operations. The vulnerability is classified as a server-side XML external entity injection, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002 for Data from Information Repositories and T1078.004 for Valid Accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it can enable attackers to escalate privileges and access sensitive identity management data within the organization. Since Symantec Identity Manager handles critical authentication and authorization functions, successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to user accounts, privilege escalation within the identity management system, and potential lateral movement within the network. The vulnerability affects the Management Console specifically, which typically serves as the administrative interface for configuring and managing identity services, making it a prime target for attackers seeking to compromise the entire identity infrastructure. Organizations utilizing this software face significant risk of credential theft, unauthorized access to identity services, and potential disruption of authentication processes that could affect thousands of users within the enterprise.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-25628 should focus on immediate patch application from Symantec, as the vendor has likely released a security update addressing this specific vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the Management Console to only necessary administrative personnel, enforce strict access controls, and monitor for unusual XML processing activities within the system logs. Additional defensive measures include configuring XML parsers to disable external entity resolution entirely, implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious XML payloads, and conducting regular security assessments of identity management systems. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and secure coding practices in enterprise security applications, particularly those handling sensitive authentication data. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls and regular credential rotation to minimize potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.