(PT-2011-36) Positive Technologies Security Advisory 
Insufficient authorization in Citrix XenServer Virtual Switch Controller

Vulnerable software

Citrix XenServer Virtual Switch Controller
Version: 6.0.1 and earlier

Application link: 
http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX129669

Severity level

Severity level: High 
Impact: Unauthorized access
Access Vector: Locally exploitable

CVSS v2: 
Base Score: 9.0 
Vector: (AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C)

CVE: not assigned

 

Vulnerability description

Positive Research Center has discovered an insufficient authorization in Citrix XenServer Virtual Switch Controller.

Low privileged (Read-Only) users can change certain configuration parameters (e.g. hostname and domain). Configuration snapshots that contain the entire system configuration (including password hashes, SSL keys, etc.) can be downloaded by read-only users. Moreover, snapshots contain the root password for pool-master, which allows an attacker to gain access to the whole infrastructure.

How to fix

Update your software up to the latest version

Advisory status

10.11.2011 - Vendor is notified
10.11.2011 - Vendor gets vulnerability details
13.03.2012 - Vendor releases fixed version and details
27.03.2012 - Public disclosure

Credits

The vulnerability was discovered by Maxim Tsoy, Kirill Mosolov, Positive Research Center (Positive Technologies Company)

References

http://en.securitylab.ru/lab/PT-2011-36
https://support.citrix.com/article/CTX132476

Reports on the vulnerabilities previously discovered by Positive Research:

http://ptsecurity.com/research/advisory/
http://en.securitylab.ru/lab/

About Positive Technologies

Positive Technologies www.ptsecurity.com is among the key players in the IT security market in Russia.

The principal activities of the company include the development of integrated tools for information security monitoring (MaxPatrol); providing IT security consulting services and technical support; development of the Securitylab leading Russian information security portal.

Among the clients of Positive Technologies, there are more than 40 state enterprises, more than 50 banks and financial organizations, 20 telecommunication companies, more than 40 plant facilities, as well as IT, service and retail companies from Russia, the CIS countries, the Baltic States, China, Ecuador, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Iran, Israel, Japan, Mexico, the Republic of South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, and the USA.

Positive Technologies is a team of highly skilled developers, advisers and experts with years of vast hands-on experience. The company specialists possess professional titles and certificates; they are the members of various international societies and are actively involved in the IT security field development.