CVE-2007-2233 in cosign
Summary
by MITRE
cosign-bin/cosign.cgi in Cosign 2.0.2 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to perform unauthorized actions as an arbitrary user by using CR (\r) sequences in the service parameter to inject LOGIN and REGISTER commands with the desired username.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-2233 affects the cosign-bin/cosign.cgi component within Cosign 2.0.2 and earlier versions, representing a critical authorization bypass flaw that enables authenticated attackers to escalate their privileges. This vulnerability specifically targets the authentication mechanism of the Cosign single sign-on system, which is widely deployed in enterprise environments for managing user authentication across multiple applications. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the service parameter processing logic, creating a path for command injection attacks that can be exploited by authenticated users who possess minimal privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the improper handling of carriage return characters within the service parameter of the cosign.cgi script. When an authenticated user submits a service parameter containing CR (\r) sequences, the application fails to properly sanitize these inputs before processing them as part of the authentication workflow. This allows attackers to inject LOGIN and REGISTER commands with arbitrary usernames, effectively bypassing the normal authentication flow and gaining unauthorized access to accounts belonging to other users. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires only basic authentication credentials to exploit, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users may have limited administrative privileges but still maintain access to the Cosign system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally undermines the trust model of the Cosign authentication system. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can impersonate any user within the system, potentially gaining access to sensitive data, performing administrative functions, or conducting further attacks against other systems within the authenticated network environment. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-74, which describes improper neutralization of special elements used in data queries, and specifically relates to command injection flaws that allow attackers to execute arbitrary commands with elevated privileges. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires minimal privileges to initiate and can be executed through standard authentication flows, making it difficult to detect and prevent through conventional security monitoring approaches.
Organizations utilizing Cosign 2.0.2 or earlier versions should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of the Cosign software, implementing input validation controls to sanitize service parameter inputs, and deploying additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication to reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and the principle of least privilege in authentication systems, as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation category. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of their authentication infrastructure to identify similar vulnerabilities in other authentication components and ensure that all authentication flows properly validate and sanitize user inputs to prevent command injection attacks that could compromise the entire authentication ecosystem.