CVE-2004-1877 in Application Server
Summary
by MITRE
The p_submit_url value in the sample login form in the Oracle 9i Application Server (9iAS) Single Sign-on Administrators Guide, Release 2(9.0.2) for Oracle SSO allows remote attackers to spoof the login page, which could allow users to inadvertently reveal their username and password.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/09/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-1877 represents a critical security flaw within Oracle 9i Application Server Single Sign-On components that enables remote attackers to manipulate the authentication process through crafted URL parameters. This issue specifically affects the sample login form implementation within the Oracle SSO Administrators Guide, Release 2 version 9.0.2, where the p_submit_url parameter can be manipulated to redirect users to malicious endpoints while maintaining the appearance of legitimate authentication pages.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and parameter handling within the Oracle 9iAS Single Sign-On framework. When the p_submit_url parameter is not properly sanitized or validated, attackers can inject malicious URLs that appear to originate from the legitimate Oracle SSO system. This creates a sophisticated phishing attack vector where users are deceived into believing they are logging into a trusted Oracle authentication system while actually submitting credentials to attacker-controlled servers. The flaw operates at the application layer and directly violates security principles related to authentication and session management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it enables attackers to conduct sophisticated social engineering campaigns that can compromise entire user bases within organizations relying on Oracle 9iAS Single Sign-On. Users who encounter the spoofed login page may unknowingly provide their credentials to malicious actors, potentially leading to unauthorized access to corporate networks, data breaches, and privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the trust relationship between users and the Oracle SSO system, making it difficult for users to distinguish between legitimate and malicious authentication pages.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-601 and CWE-79 security weaknesses, specifically addressing URL redirection issues and cross-site scripting vulnerabilities that enable authentication bypass and credential harvesting. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this represents a technique for credential access through phishing and social engineering, with potential lateral movement capabilities once initial credentials are obtained. Organizations using Oracle 9iAS Single Sign-On systems should implement immediate mitigations including input validation for all URL parameters, proper parameter sanitization, and enhanced authentication page verification mechanisms to prevent unauthorized URL redirection.
The remediation approach requires comprehensive parameter validation and input sanitization within the Oracle 9iAS Single Sign-On components, particularly focusing on the p_submit_url parameter handling. Security patches should be applied to ensure that all URL parameters are properly validated against a whitelist of approved destinations, preventing arbitrary redirection to malicious endpoints. Additionally, organizations should implement proper security headers and content security policies to further protect against such spoofing attacks while maintaining the integrity of the authentication process. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the Oracle 9iAS platform, ensuring comprehensive protection against credential theft and authentication manipulation attacks.