CVE-2010-2337 in Federated Identity Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Open redirect vulnerability in RSA Federated Identity Manager 4.0 before 4.0.25 and 4.1 before 4.1.26 allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks via unknown vectors.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2018
The CVE-2010-2337 vulnerability represents a critical open redirect flaw discovered in RSA Federated Identity Manager versions prior to 4.0.25 and 4.1.26. This vulnerability resides within the identity federation software that enables secure authentication across multiple domains and systems. The flaw allows remote attackers to manipulate the redirection mechanism to direct users toward malicious websites, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on federated identity solutions. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple redirection as it enables sophisticated phishing attacks that can compromise user credentials and sensitive information. The affected RSA Federated Identity Manager versions demonstrate a failure in proper input validation and output encoding within their redirect handling mechanisms, creating an attack surface that adversaries can exploit to manipulate user navigation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of redirect URLs within the federated identity framework. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing crafted redirect parameters that bypass normal validation checks, allowing the system to redirect users to attacker-controlled domains. This flaw typically occurs when the application accepts user-supplied redirect URLs without proper sanitization or when it fails to verify that the target URL belongs to an authorized domain within the federation. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through web-based interfaces, making it particularly dangerous in environments where users frequently interact with federated authentication systems. The lack of proper URL validation creates a pathway for attackers to construct deceptive redirects that appear legitimate to users, leveraging the trust established through the federated identity system.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-2337 extends far beyond simple phishing attempts, as it can enable sophisticated social engineering attacks that compromise entire user sessions. Organizations utilizing RSA Federated Identity Manager become vulnerable to credential theft attacks where users are redirected to fake authentication portals that capture login information. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where federated identity is used for single sign-on operations, as successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized access to multiple applications and services within the federation. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to create convincing phishing campaigns that exploit the trust users place in legitimate federated identity systems. The risk is compounded by the fact that these attacks can be executed without requiring direct access to the target organization's systems, making them particularly difficult to detect and prevent through traditional network security measures.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including applying the vendor patches released for RSA Federated Identity Manager versions 4.0.25 and 4.1.26. The remediation process involves configuring proper URL validation mechanisms that enforce strict domain whitelisting for redirect destinations, ensuring that only pre-approved domains can receive redirection requests. Network administrators should implement additional monitoring controls to detect suspicious redirect patterns and establish automated alerting for unusual redirection activities. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the affected software within their infrastructure and implement proper input validation controls. The mitigation strategy should also include user education programs to raise awareness about phishing risks and suspicious redirects, as well as network-level controls such as web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious redirect attempts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-601 open redirect vulnerability classification and maps to attack techniques involving credential harvesting and session hijacking within the MITRE ATT&CK framework.