CVE-2011-1433 in OTRS
Summary
by MITRE
The (1) AgentInterface and (2) CustomerInterface components in Open Ticket Request System (OTRS) before 3.0.6 place cleartext credentials into the session data in the database, which makes it easier for context-dependent attackers to obtain sensitive information by reading the _UserLogin and _UserPW fields.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1433 affects the Open Ticket Request System OTRS version 3.0.5 and earlier, specifically targeting the AgentInterface and CustomerInterface components. This flaw represents a critical security oversight in how the system handles user authentication data during session management processes. The vulnerability stems from the improper handling of sensitive credential information within the application's session storage mechanism, creating a persistent exposure that can be exploited by malicious actors with access to the database.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the storage of cleartext credentials in the database session data, specifically within the _UserLogin and _UserPW fields. When users authenticate to the system through either the agent or customer interfaces, their login credentials are not properly encrypted or hashed before being written to the session storage. This design flaw allows attackers who gain database access to directly read these fields and extract user authentication information in plain text format. The vulnerability is classified as a weakness in data protection and session management, aligning with CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials).
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential theft, as it provides attackers with immediate access to legitimate user accounts within the OTRS environment. Context-dependent attackers who can read database records can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to customer support tickets, user accounts, and potentially escalate privileges within the system. This vulnerability directly violates security principles outlined in the NIST SP 800-63 standard for authentication and credential management, where sensitive information must be protected through proper encryption and access controls. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires only database read access, which may be achievable through various attack paths including SQL injection vulnerabilities, misconfigured database permissions, or other database-related exploits.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate implementation of database encryption for session data storage, proper credential handling mechanisms, and comprehensive access controls. Organizations should implement database field-level encryption for sensitive session data, ensure that all authentication credentials are stored in encrypted format, and establish strict access controls for database resources. The recommended remediation includes upgrading to OTRS version 3.0.6 or later, which addresses this specific vulnerability through improved session management and credential handling. Additionally, security administrators should implement database auditing and monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts to session data and establish proper network segmentation to limit database access privileges. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following the principle of least privilege and proper data protection mechanisms as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the credential access category, where adversaries seek to obtain credentials through various methods including database access and information disclosure techniques.