CVE-2005-1743 in WebLogic Server
Summary
by MITRE
BEA WebLogic Server and WebLogic Express 8.1 through Service Pack 3 and 7.0 through Service Pack 5 does not properly handle when a security provider throws an exception, which may cause WebLogic to use incorrect identity for the thread, or to fail to audit security exceptions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-1743 represents a critical flaw in BEA WebLogic Server and WebLogic Express versions 8.1 through Service Pack 3 and 7.0 through Service Pack 5 that stems from improper exception handling within the security framework. This issue falls under the category of insecure error handling and can be classified as CWE-707, which deals with improper use of security features. The flaw occurs when security providers within the WebLogic environment encounter exceptions during authentication or authorization processes, leading to potential security breaches through incorrect identity assignment or failure to log security events.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the thread-based security context management within WebLogic's security subsystem. When a security provider throws an exception during processing, the server fails to properly clean up or reset the security thread context, resulting in the thread maintaining incorrect security identity information. This improper state management creates opportunities for privilege escalation attacks where malicious actors could potentially impersonate other users or gain unauthorized access to protected resources. The vulnerability also impacts audit logging mechanisms, as security exceptions that should be recorded for forensic analysis may be silently ignored or improperly logged, compromising the integrity of security monitoring systems.
The operational impact of CVE-2005-1743 extends beyond simple authentication failures, as it fundamentally undermines the security model of the WebLogic application server. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to perform unauthorized operations by leveraging the incorrect thread identity, potentially accessing sensitive data or executing privileged commands within the application environment. The failure to properly audit security exceptions creates a blind spot in security monitoring, making it difficult for administrators to detect compromise attempts or unauthorized access attempts. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where WebLogic servers typically host mission-critical applications with extensive user access controls and sensitive data processing capabilities.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of affected WebLogic versions to the latest service packs that address the exception handling behavior. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring of security-related exceptions and audit logs to detect potential exploitation attempts. The security architecture should include additional validation mechanisms to ensure thread context integrity and implement proper exception handling protocols that reset security state information upon exception occurrence. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access, specifically targeting the T1078 and T1566 tactics. System administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts, while ensuring that all security events are properly logged and monitored through centralized security information and event management systems.