CVE-2007-4438 in Ampache
Summary
by MITRE
Session fixation vulnerability in Ampache before 3.3.3.5 allows remote attackers to hijack web sessions via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/29/2019
The CVE-2007-4438 vulnerability represents a critical session fixation flaw within the Ampache media management system prior to version 3.3.3.5. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of weak session management issues that have been systematically catalogued under CWE-384, which specifically addresses session management flaws that can lead to unauthorized access and privilege escalation. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to hijack active web sessions through unspecified vectors, creating a significant security risk for users relying on the Ampache platform for media library management and streaming services.
The technical nature of this session fixation vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly regenerate session identifiers upon successful authentication. When users log into the Ampache system, the application should generate a new, unpredictable session token that replaces any existing session identifier. However, in versions prior to 3.3.3.5, the system failed to implement proper session regeneration mechanisms, allowing attackers to exploit this weakness by obtaining a valid session token before authentication and then using it to impersonate legitimate users. This flaw aligns with the ATT&CK framework's session management techniques, specifically targeting the T1548.003 sub-technique related to abuse of session management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential data breaches, privilege escalation, and complete system compromise. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to gain access to users' media libraries, potentially exposing sensitive content, modifying library configurations, or even executing malicious commands if the application provides administrative capabilities. The remote nature of the attack vector means that threat actors do not require physical access to the system or network to exploit this weakness, making it particularly dangerous in environments where Ampache is deployed across multiple user bases or integrated with other systems. Organizations using affected versions of Ampache face significant risk of unauthorized media access and potential data exposure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-4438 involve immediate upgrade to Ampache version 3.3.3.5 or later, which includes proper session regeneration mechanisms. Security administrators should also implement additional protective measures such as enforcing secure session cookie attributes, including HttpOnly and Secure flags, and implementing proper session timeout mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices for session management, as outlined in OWASP Top 10 and NIST SP 800-53 security controls. Organizations should conduct regular security assessments to identify similar session management flaws in other applications and ensure that session tokens are properly regenerated after authentication events, thereby preventing attackers from maintaining persistent access to user sessions through exploitation of this type of vulnerability.