CVE-2023-5444 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

This CVE involves a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO) prior to version 5.10.0 CP1 Update 2, which allows a remote low-privilege user to add a new user with administrator privileges to the ePO server. The vulnerability impacts the dashboard area of the user interface and requires the attacker to modify the HTTP payload post submission before it reaches the ePO server.

Understanding CVE-2023-5444

This section delves into an in-depth understanding of the CVE-2023-5444 vulnerability.

What is CVE-2023-5444?

The CVE-2023-5444 vulnerability refers to a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) issue in ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO) that enables a remote attacker with low privileges to elevate their permissions by adding a new user with administrator privileges to the ePO server.

The Impact of CVE-2023-5444

The impact of this vulnerability is categorized under CAPEC-233 as "Privilege Escalation," indicating the severity of the consequences that can arise due to unauthorized users gaining administrator rights within the ePO server environment.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-5444

In this section, we will explore the technical specifics of CVE-2023-5444, including the vulnerability description, affected systems, versions, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows a remote low-privilege user to manipulate the HTTP payload to add a new user with elevated privileges to the ePolicy Orchestrator (ePO) server, specifically impacting the dashboard area of the user interface.

Affected Systems and Versions

The affected product is ePolicy Orchestrator by Trellix, specifically versions prior to 5.10.0 CP1 Update 2.

Exploitation Mechanism

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must intercept and modify the HTTP payload post-submission before it reaches the ePO server, enabling them to grant themselves unauthorized administrator privileges.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section outlines the steps to mitigate and prevent the exploitation of CVE-2023-5444.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade ePolicy Orchestrator to version 5.10.0 CP1 Update 2 or later to eliminate the CSRF vulnerability.
Implement strict access controls and authentication mechanisms to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation attempts.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and audit user activities within the ePO server to detect any suspicious behavior.
Educate users on security best practices to prevent falling victim to CSRF attacks.

Patching and Updates

Stay proactive in applying security patches and updates released by the vendor to mitigate known vulnerabilities like CSRF in ePolicy Orchestrator.