CVE-2008-0901 in WebLogic Server
Summary
by MITRE
BEA WebLogic Server and Express 7.0 through 10.0 allows remote attackers to conduct brute force password guessing attacks, even when account lockout has been activated, via crafted URLs that indicate whether a guessed password is successful or not.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/01/2025
BEA WebLogic Server versions 7.0 through 10.0 contain a critical authentication vulnerability that fundamentally undermines the security of account lockout mechanisms. This vulnerability stems from the server's response handling during authentication attempts, where successful and failed password attempts generate distinct HTTP responses that can be programmatically distinguished by attackers. The flaw exists in the server's authentication subsystem and directly violates security principle of least privilege by allowing unauthorized enumeration of valid accounts through automated means. This vulnerability maps to CWE-307, which specifically addresses inadequate account lockout mechanisms, and represents a significant weakness in the authentication framework that enables attackers to bypass normal security controls designed to prevent brute force attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the server's response timing and status code variations between successful and failed authentication attempts. When an attacker submits a crafted URL request with a guessed password, the server responds with different HTTP status codes or response times that indicate whether the password guess was correct. This information leakage allows attackers to conduct automated password guessing attacks even when account lockout features have been enabled and configured. The vulnerability specifically affects the server's handling of authentication requests through the web interface and management console components, where the authentication logic does not properly obscure the success or failure of password validation attempts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for organizations using affected WebLogic Server versions. Attackers can systematically enumerate valid user accounts and passwords without triggering the intended account lockout mechanisms, effectively neutralizing the security controls designed to prevent unauthorized access. This capability enables attackers to perform extended brute force campaigns against user credentials, potentially compromising multiple accounts within the system. The vulnerability particularly affects enterprise environments where WebLogic Server serves as a critical application platform, as it provides attackers with a reliable method to gain unauthorized access to sensitive applications and data. Organizations may experience unauthorized access to business-critical systems, potential data breaches, and compromise of the entire application infrastructure.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability including upgrading to patched versions of BEA WebLogic Server, implementing additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication, and configuring network-level protections to restrict access to authentication endpoints. Security teams should also deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for unusual authentication patterns and consider implementing application firewalls to filter malicious authentication requests. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper authentication response handling and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1110 which covers credential access through brute force methods. Additionally, organizations should review their account lockout policies and ensure they are properly configured to prevent the exploitation of such information leakage vulnerabilities, as this represents a fundamental flaw in the authentication architecture that requires both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar issues in other components.