CVE-2011-0717 in Network Satellite Server
Summary
by MITRE
Session fixation vulnerability in Red Hat Network (RHN) Satellite Server 5.4 allows remote attackers to hijack web sessions via unspecified vectors related to Spacewalk.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/18/2021
The CVE-2011-0717 vulnerability represents a critical session fixation flaw discovered in Red Hat Network Satellite Server version 5.4, which operates as a web-based management platform for enterprise systems. This vulnerability specifically affects the Spacewalk component that serves as the web interface for Red Hat Satellite, creating a significant security risk that could allow remote attackers to hijack active user sessions without requiring authentication credentials. The vulnerability stems from improper session management mechanisms that fail to properly invalidate or regenerate session identifiers upon user authentication, leaving sessions susceptible to manipulation by malicious actors who can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to system resources.
The technical flaw manifests in the server's session handling implementation where the system does not adequately enforce session identifier rotation during the authentication process. When a user logs into the Spacewalk web interface, the server should generate a new, unique session identifier and invalidate any previous session tokens. However, in the affected version, the system may reuse or fail to properly regenerate session identifiers, creating a scenario where an attacker who has obtained a valid session token can maintain access to the system even after legitimate users have logged out or their sessions have expired. This weakness aligns with CWE-384, which specifically addresses session fixation vulnerabilities in web applications where session identifiers are not properly managed during authentication transitions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it can enable attackers to perform privileged operations within the Satellite environment, potentially leading to complete system compromise. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to access sensitive system configurations, manage deployed systems, view confidential data, or even escalate privileges to gain administrative control over the entire Satellite infrastructure. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the system or network, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where the Satellite server serves as a central management point for multiple systems. This vulnerability directly maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for credential harvesting and T1078 for valid accounts, as attackers can leverage the session fixation to maintain persistent access without needing to compromise additional authentication mechanisms.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided security patches, upgrading to patched versions of Red Hat Satellite Server, and implementing additional session management controls. The recommended approach involves ensuring that all session identifiers are properly regenerated upon successful authentication, implementing strict session timeout mechanisms, and monitoring for suspicious session activity patterns. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation to limit access to the Satellite server, deploy web application firewalls to detect and block exploitation attempts, and conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify any other systems running vulnerable versions of the software. Additionally, organizations should review their session management policies and ensure that all web applications follow secure coding practices that prevent session fixation vulnerabilities through proper identifier handling and session lifecycle management.