CVE-2008-5575 in Pro Clan Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Session fixation vulnerability in Pro Clan Manager 0.4.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to hijack web sessions by setting the PHPSESSID parameter.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/28/2017
The session fixation vulnerability identified in Pro Clan Manager version 0.4.2 and earlier represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of web application authentication mechanisms. This vulnerability specifically affects the handling of PHP session identifiers, where the application fails to properly regenerate session tokens upon user authentication, creating an exploitable condition that allows remote attackers to maintain persistent access to user sessions. The flaw stems from the application's failure to implement proper session management practices that are fundamental to web application security.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when the application accepts and processes the PHPSESSID parameter without validating or regenerating the session identifier upon successful user login. Attackers can exploit this by obtaining a valid session ID, either through previous access or by generating one themselves, and then tricking users into using that specific session identifier. This creates a scenario where the attacker can predict and reuse session tokens, effectively allowing them to impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to their accounts and associated privileges. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and specifically targets the session management component of the web framework.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to conduct persistent session hijacking attacks that can result in complete account compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive information. The attack requires minimal technical expertise and can be executed remotely, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that handle user authentication and authorization. Once exploited, attackers can maintain access to user sessions indefinitely, potentially leading to data breaches, privilege escalation, and unauthorized modifications to application data. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the web application by enabling unauthorized access to user resources.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with CWE-384, which addresses session fixation issues in web applications, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1563.002 for session hijacking activities. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including proper session regeneration upon authentication, implementing secure session management practices, and ensuring that session identifiers are randomly generated and sufficiently long to prevent prediction attacks. Additional protective measures include implementing secure cookie attributes such as HttpOnly and Secure flags, enforcing session timeout mechanisms, and regularly updating vulnerable applications to patched versions that address the session management flaws. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper session handling in web applications and serves as a reminder of the fundamental security principles that must be adhered to in application development and maintenance practices.