CVE-2004-1478 in Cosminexus Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE
JRun 4.0 does not properly generate and handle the JSESSIONID, which allows remote attackers to perform a session fixation attack and hijack a user s HTTP session.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1478 represents a critical session management flaw in Macromedia JRun 4.0 web application server software. This issue stems from the improper generation and handling of JSESSIONID cookies, which are fundamental components in maintaining HTTP session state between client and server interactions. The flaw creates a predictable and exploitable weakness in the session establishment process that directly undermines the security of web applications deployed on this platform.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the inadequate entropy and randomness of the session identifier generation algorithm within JRun 4.0. When a user authenticates to a web application running on this server, the system should generate a unique, unpredictable session identifier that cannot be easily guessed or reproduced by malicious actors. However, the flawed implementation in JRun 4.0 produces session IDs that follow predictable patterns or contain insufficient randomness, making them vulnerable to session fixation attacks. This weakness falls under the CWE-306 category of "Missing Authentication for Critical Function" and specifically relates to CWE-310 which addresses "Cryptographic Issues" in session management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote attackers to execute session hijacking attacks without requiring authentication credentials. An attacker can exploit this flaw by first obtaining a valid session ID through legitimate means or by predicting the session identifier pattern, then forcing a victim user to use the same session ID. Once the victim authenticates using the attacker-controlled session, the attacker gains unauthorized access to the victim's session and can perform actions on their behalf. This attack vector directly violates the principles of authentication and authorization as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1566 technique for "Phishing for Information" and T1567 technique for "Exfiltration Over Web Service" when combined with session hijacking.
The security implications extend beyond simple session hijacking to encompass potential data breaches, unauthorized transactions, and privilege escalation within applications that rely on JRun 4.0 for their web hosting infrastructure. Organizations running applications on this vulnerable platform face significant risks including unauthorized access to sensitive user data, financial transaction manipulation, and potential system compromise. The vulnerability affects the core session management functionality and represents a fundamental flaw in the web application server's security architecture, making it particularly dangerous for applications handling confidential information or requiring strong authentication mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2004-1478 should include immediate implementation of proper session management practices such as generating cryptographically secure session identifiers with sufficient entropy, implementing session regeneration after authentication events, and ensuring proper session timeout mechanisms. Organizations should upgrade to patched versions of JRun 4.0 or migrate to more secure web application server platforms that properly implement session management security controls. Additionally, network-level protections such as secure cookie flags, HTTP-only headers, and proper session invalidation procedures should be implemented to reduce the attack surface and prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the broader application ecosystem. The remediation efforts must align with industry standards including OWASP Top 10 security practices and NIST cybersecurity guidelines for web application security.