CVE-2008-5117 in Java System Identity Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in Sun Java System Identity Manager 6.0 through 6.0 SP4, 7.0, and 7.1 allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-5117 represents a critical open redirect flaw within Sun Java System Identity Manager versions 6.0 through 6.0 SP4 and versions 7.0 and 7.1. This security weakness enables remote attackers to manipulate the application's redirect functionality, potentially steering users toward malicious web destinations. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the identity management platform's redirection mechanisms, creating an attack surface that adversaries can exploit to execute social engineering campaigns.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the application's failure to properly validate redirect URLs before processing user requests. When users interact with the identity manager system, particularly during authentication or access control scenarios, the application may accept and process redirect parameters without adequate verification. This flaw allows attackers to craft malicious URLs that contain crafted redirect targets, potentially leading to phishing attacks where users are unknowingly redirected to fraudulent websites designed to capture credentials or sensitive information. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and affects the web interface components of the identity management system.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Sun Java System Identity Manager for user authentication and access control. Attackers can leverage this weakness to conduct sophisticated phishing campaigns, where users are redirected from legitimate identity management portals to attacker-controlled sites that mimic the authentic interface. The impact extends beyond simple redirection as it undermines the trust model of the identity management system, potentially leading to credential theft, unauthorized access to protected resources, and broader compromise of the authentication infrastructure. Organizations may experience reputational damage and regulatory compliance issues if user credentials are compromised through such attacks.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-601 open redirect weakness, which specifically addresses insecure redirection scenarios where applications fail to validate redirect targets. From an adversary perspective, this flaw maps to several ATT&CK techniques including initial access through phishing and credential access via credential harvesting. The attack chain typically involves crafting malicious links that appear legitimate to users while redirecting them to attacker-controlled domains. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation controls, restrict redirect functionality to known safe domains, and deploy web application firewalls to monitor and block suspicious redirect patterns. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing of identity management systems can help identify similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors.