CVE-2002-0523 in ASP-Nuke
Summary
by MITRE
ASP-Nuke RC2 and earlier allows remote attackers to list all logged-in users by submitting an invalid "pseudo" cookie.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/20/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-0523 affects ASP-Nuke versions 2.0 RC2 and earlier, representing a significant security flaw in web application authentication and session management. This issue stems from improper handling of user authentication state within the application's cookie-based session mechanism. The vulnerability specifically targets the application's pseudo cookie parameter which is used to track user login status and session information. When an attacker submits an invalid pseudo cookie value, the application fails to properly validate this input and instead reveals information about all currently logged-in users in the system. This represents a classic information disclosure vulnerability that can be categorized under CWE-200, which deals with improper information exposure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the application's session management architecture. The ASP-Nuke platform uses cookies to maintain user authentication state, with the pseudo cookie serving as a critical component in tracking active sessions. When an invalid pseudo cookie is submitted, the application's validation logic becomes bypassed, allowing unauthorized access to session information that should remain protected. This occurs because the system does not properly sanitize or validate the cookie input before processing it, creating an entry point for information gathering attacks. The flaw essentially allows attackers to enumerate active user sessions without proper authentication, exposing the application's user base and potentially enabling further attacks such as session hijacking or credential stuffing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, creating a pathway for more sophisticated attacks within the application environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain valuable intelligence about active users, which may include usernames, session identifiers, and potentially other sensitive information related to user activities. This reconnaissance capability can be leveraged to plan targeted attacks against specific user accounts or to conduct social engineering operations. The vulnerability also violates several key principles of secure application design as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten, particularly concerning the exposure of sensitive information and inadequate session management. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and reconnaissance activities, as it enables adversaries to gather information about legitimate users within the system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and session management controls within the ASP-Nuke application. Organizations should immediately upgrade to versions of ASP-Nuke that have addressed this issue, as the vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including RC2. The fix should include robust validation of all cookie parameters, particularly those related to authentication state, and proper error handling that does not expose session information to unauthorized users. Security measures should also include implementing proper session timeout mechanisms, using secure cookie attributes such as HttpOnly and Secure flags, and ensuring that authentication state information is not exposed through error messages or response content. Additionally, network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability. The remediation process should also involve comprehensive security testing of all authentication-related components to ensure that similar vulnerabilities do not exist in other parts of the application architecture.