CVE-2010-5079 in SilverStripe
Summary
by MITRE
SilverStripe 2.3.x before 2.3.10 and 2.4.x before 2.4.4 uses weak entropy when generating tokens for (1) the CSRF protection mechanism, (2) autologin, (3) "forgot password" functionality, and (4) password salts, which makes it easier for remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-5079 represents a critical weakness in SilverStripe content management systems affecting versions prior to 2.3.10 and 2.4.4. This issue stems from the application's reliance on insufficiently random number generation when creating cryptographic tokens for multiple security mechanisms. The flaw impacts four distinct security features including Cross-Site Request Forgery protection, auto-login functionality, password reset mechanisms, and password salting processes. The weak entropy generation creates predictable token values that adversaries can potentially exploit to bypass intended access controls and gain unauthorized system access.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the implementation of pseudo-random number generators that fail to provide adequate cryptographic security strength. When systems generate tokens using weak entropy sources, they become susceptible to various attack vectors including brute force attempts, statistical analysis, and pattern recognition techniques. The specific mechanisms affected include CSRF protection tokens that should prevent unauthorized requests from being executed on behalf of authenticated users, auto-login tokens that maintain user sessions without re-authentication, password reset tokens that allow account recovery, and password salt values that ensure unique cryptographic hashes for user credentials. These components form the foundation of the application's security model, and their compromise directly undermines the overall security posture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential complete system compromise. Attackers exploiting this weakness could manipulate CSRF protection to execute unauthorized administrative actions, gain persistent access through auto-login bypasses, reset passwords for arbitrary accounts, or potentially crack password hashes through reduced entropy. The unspecified attack vectors mentioned in the CVE description suggest that the weakness may be exploitable through multiple approaches including timing attacks, session hijacking, or credential stuffing techniques. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on SilverStripe for web applications where authentication and session management are critical security controls. The impact is amplified in environments where these applications handle sensitive data or serve as primary access points to enterprise systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching to the affected SilverStripe versions, with the specific releases 2.3.10 and 2.4.4 providing the necessary fixes. Organizations should implement comprehensive vulnerability management processes to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in other applications. Security teams should conduct thorough audits of cryptographic implementations across their infrastructure, ensuring that all token generation mechanisms utilize cryptographically secure random number generators. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-330, which addresses the use of insufficiently random values in security contexts, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1110 for credential access through brute force or password spraying attacks. Additionally, implementing proper entropy sources, regular security testing, and monitoring for anomalous authentication patterns can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication, rate limiting, and enhanced session management policies to reduce the attack surface and provide defense-in-depth measures against similar vulnerabilities.