CVE-2008-6836 in OpenID
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in OpenID 5.x before 5x.-1.2, a module for Drupal, allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of unspecified victims to delete OpenID identities via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/16/2018
The CVE-2008-6836 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the OpenID module version 5.x prior to 5x.-1.2 for the Drupal content management system. This vulnerability resides in the authentication handling mechanisms of the OpenID module, which is designed to enable users to authenticate to Drupal sites using external identity providers. The flaw creates a dangerous condition where malicious actors can exploit the lack of proper request validation to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of legitimate users. The vulnerability specifically targets the deletion functionality of OpenID identities, allowing attackers to remove user authentication credentials without proper authorization.
The technical nature of this CSRF vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of the origin and authenticity of HTTP requests within the OpenID module's processing logic. When users interact with the OpenID authentication system, the module should verify that requests originate from legitimate sources and contain proper authentication tokens. However, the vulnerable implementation fails to adequately verify request integrity, enabling attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to come from authenticated users. This weakness operates at the application layer and directly impacts the authentication and session management components of Drupal's security architecture. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery conditions in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple identity theft or account compromise. Attackers who successfully exploit this CSRF flaw can permanently delete OpenID identities from user accounts, effectively locking users out of their accounts or removing their ability to authenticate through the OpenID system. This creates a significant disruption to user access and can lead to potential account takeover scenarios, particularly when users rely on OpenID for authentication across multiple systems. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors suggests that the vulnerability could be exploited through various means including email attachments, compromised websites, or social engineering campaigns that trick users into visiting malicious sites. The consequences include loss of user access, potential data integrity issues, and degradation of trust in the authentication system.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability through updating the OpenID module to version 5x.-1.2 or later, which includes proper CSRF protection mechanisms. The fix typically involves implementing proper request validation techniques such as anti-CSRF tokens, origin checking, and proper session management. Organizations should also conduct thorough security assessments of their Drupal installations to identify other potential CSRF vulnerabilities within the system. The mitigation strategy should include implementing comprehensive web application firewalls, monitoring for suspicious authentication-related activities, and educating users about the risks of visiting untrusted websites. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper input validation and request authentication in authentication modules, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566 for social engineering and T1078 for valid accounts usage. The incident underscores the necessity of regular security updates and proper security architecture review processes to prevent similar vulnerabilities in authentication systems.