CVE-2005-4709 in JBoss Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE
The popSubjectContext method in the SecurityAssociation class in JBoss Enterprise Java Beans (EJB) 3.0 RC3 maintains the threadPrincipal and threadCredential values from a previous client s authentication after termination of a client session, which allows remote attackers to gain the roles of an arbitrary previous client who had the same JBoss server thread.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/05/2017
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-4709 represents a critical thread-level authentication contamination issue within the JBoss Enterprise Java Beans 3.0 RC3 framework. This flaw exists in the SecurityAssociation class where the popSubjectContext method fails to properly clear authentication context information when a client session terminates. The security implications arise from the persistence of threadPrincipal and threadCredential values across different client sessions, creating a scenario where authentication state can leak between concurrent users sharing the same server thread. This represents a fundamental failure in session isolation and authentication state management within the application server's security architecture.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from the threading model implementation within JBoss EJB containers where multiple client requests may be handled by the same server thread. When a client session concludes, the security context should be completely cleared to prevent any residual authentication information from being carried forward. However, the flawed popSubjectContext method retains authentication credentials and principal information from previous clients, allowing an attacker to potentially impersonate another user who previously used the same thread. This creates a cross-thread credential contamination scenario that violates basic security principles of authentication isolation and session management.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to escalate privileges and assume the identity of arbitrary previous clients who had accessed the same server thread. The attack vector requires an attacker to either be in the same thread context or to time their attack to coincide with when a target user's session was active on a shared thread. This allows for unauthorized access to resources and data that should be restricted to specific authenticated users, potentially leading to data breaches, privilege escalation, and unauthorized system access. The vulnerability essentially creates a backdoor mechanism for attackers to leverage existing authentication state for unauthorized access.
The vulnerability maps directly to CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts, as it allows attackers to leverage legitimate authentication contexts. Organizations using JBoss EJB 3.0 RC3 should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor patch, implementing proper session cleanup procedures, and configuring thread isolation measures to prevent cross-client authentication contamination. Additionally, monitoring for unusual authentication patterns and implementing robust session management controls can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The fix typically involves ensuring that the SecurityAssociation class properly clears all authentication context information upon session termination, preventing any credential leakage between different client sessions sharing the same server thread resources.