Symantec Workspace Streaming XMLRPC Unauthenticated Access

SUMMARY

The management server for Symantec Workspace Streaming (SWS) does not properly handle external XMLRPC requests, which could potentially allow unauthorized access to restricted server-side data and server functionality. A remote user could potential create a backdoor on the targeted server resulting in unauthorized privilege access.

AFFECTED PRODUCTS

Product

|

Version

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Build

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Solution(s)

—|—|—|—

Symantec Workspace Streaming

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7.5.x and prior

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All

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Update to SWS 7.5.0.749 ( 7.5 SP1)

ISSUES

CVSS2

Base Score

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Impact

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Exploitability

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CVSS2 Vector

—|—|—|—

SWS Unauthenticated XMLRPC Access - High

7.9

|

10

|

5.5

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AV:A/AC:M/AU:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

CVE

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BID

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Description

—|—|—

CVE-2014-1649

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BID 67189

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Symantec Workspace Unauthenticated XMLRPC Access

MITIGATION

Details

Symantec Workspace Streaming server does not properly handle incoming HTTPS XMLRPC requests. This could potentially allow a malicious individual unauthorized access to sensitive server-side files and functionality. By submitting a sufficiently crafted XMLRPC request, a malicious user could place arbitrary code on the server that, if successfully crafted would create an unauthorized access point on the server. This could potentially provide the malicious individual application-level access to the SWS server.

In a normal installation, a Symantec Workspace Streaming Server should not be accessible externally from the network environment which should limit this to an authorized but unprivileged network user attempt. However, an external attacker able to successfully leverage network access by enticing an authorized user to visit a malicious site or click on a malicious HTML email could possibly further leverage that access to attempt to exploit this issue.

Symantec Response
Symantec product engineers have released SWS 7.5SP1 to resolve this issue. Symantec engineers reviewed and continue to review all product functionality to further enhance the overall security of Symantec Workspace Streaming.

Symantec recommends customers apply the available update as soon as possible to avoid this type of issue. Symantec is not aware of exploitation of or adverse customer impact from this issue.

Update Information

Symantec Workspace Steaming 7.5SP1 is available through Symantec File Connect.

Mitigations
Symantec Security Response has released IPS signature 27339 - "Symantec Workspace Streaming XMLRPC RCE" to help detect and block remote exploit attempts. Signatures are available through normal Symantec security updates.

Best Practices
As part of normal best practices, Symantec strongly recommends the following:

• Restrict access to administrative or management systems to authorized privileged users.
• Restrict remote access, if required, to trusted/authorized systems only.
• Run under the principle of least privilege where possible to limit the impact of potential exploit.
• Keep all operating systems and applications current with vendor patches.
• Follow a multi-layered approach to security. At a minimum, run both firewall and anti-malware applications to provide multiple points of detection and protection to both inbound and outbound threats.
• Deploy network- and host-based intrusion detection systems to monitor network traffic for signs of anomalous or suspicious activity. This may aid in the detection of attacks or malicious activity related to the exploitation of latent vulnerabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Symantec thanks Andrea Micalizzi (rgod) working through HP's Zero Day Initiative(ZDI) for reporting this and ZDI for working with us as we addressed it.

REFERENCES

BID: Security Focus, http://www.securityfocus.com, has assigned Bugtraq IDs (BIDs) to these issues for inclusion in the Security Focus vulnerability database.

CVE: These issues are candidates for inclusion in the CVE list (http://cve.mitre.org), which standardizes names for security problems.