CVE-2008-1203 in ColdFusion
Summary
by MITRE
The administrator interface for Adobe ColdFusion 8 and ColdFusion MX7 does not log failed authentication attempts, which makes it easier for remote attackers to conduct brute force attacks without detection.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2024
Adobe ColdFusion versions 8 and MX7 contain a critical security flaw in their administrative interface that fundamentally undermines authentication security measures through the absence of failed login attempt logging. This vulnerability creates a significant attack surface that directly enables credential stuffing and brute force exploitation attempts without any detection mechanisms to alert administrators of suspicious activity. The flaw exists at the core authentication logging infrastructure, where successful and failed authentication events are not consistently recorded in the system's audit trail, leaving administrators blind to potential malicious attempts to compromise administrative access. This weakness specifically targets the administrative console which serves as the primary entry point for system management and configuration changes, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking persistent access to enterprise applications. The lack of failed login detection represents a fundamental failure in implementing proper security monitoring and incident response capabilities within the application framework.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of comprehensive logging mechanisms within the ColdFusion administrative authentication subsystem. When users attempt to access the administrative interface with invalid credentials, the system fails to record these events in any persistent audit log, which violates established security best practices for access control monitoring. This flaw directly relates to CWE-778, which addresses insufficient logging of authentication events, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1110.003 for Brute Force Attacks, as attackers can repeatedly attempt various credential combinations without risk of detection. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple authentication bypass as it enables attackers to systematically work through password dictionaries and credential lists without triggering any security alerts, allowing prolonged unauthorized access attempts that could go unnoticed for extended periods.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability are severe and multifaceted, particularly in enterprise environments where ColdFusion serves as a critical application platform for business operations. Organizations using these vulnerable versions face heightened risk of unauthorized administrative access, which could lead to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, and service disruption. The absence of logging creates a false sense of security for system administrators who may not realize that brute force attacks are occurring against their administrative interfaces. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to conduct systematic credential testing, password spraying, and dictionary attacks against administrative accounts, with no visibility into these activities through standard security monitoring tools. This vulnerability essentially removes one of the most fundamental security controls for detecting and responding to unauthorized access attempts, creating an environment where malicious actors can operate with impunity.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of both application-level and infrastructure-level controls to compensate for the missing logging functionality. Organizations should deploy external monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous login patterns and credential testing behaviors through network traffic analysis and behavioral monitoring. The implementation of multi-factor authentication and account lockout mechanisms should be prioritized to add additional layers of security beyond the basic authentication system. System administrators must also implement network-based controls such as ip whitelisting and rate limiting to restrict access to administrative interfaces from suspicious or unauthorized sources. Additionally, regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify and remediate similar logging deficiencies across the entire application infrastructure. Organizations should consider upgrading to patched versions of ColdFusion that address this logging deficiency and implement comprehensive security monitoring solutions that can detect and alert on failed authentication attempts through external monitoring tools. The vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of proper logging and monitoring within security frameworks, as the absence of these controls can completely undermine even well-designed authentication systems.