CVE-2011-1788 in vCenter
Summary
by MITRE
vCenter Server in VMware vCenter 4.0 before Update 3 and 4.1 before Update 1 allows local users to discover the SOAP session ID via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-1788 represents a significant security flaw in VMware vCenter Server implementations prior to specific update releases. This issue affects vCenter Server versions 4.0 before Update 3 and 4.1 before Update 1, creating a dangerous exposure that undermines the authentication and session management security posture of virtualized environments. The vulnerability specifically pertains to the improper handling of SOAP session identifiers within the vCenter Server architecture, creating a potential attack surface that malicious actors could exploit to gain unauthorized access to privileged operations.
The technical flaw manifests through unspecified vectors that allow local users to discover SOAP session IDs, which are critical components in the web services communication framework used by vCenter Server. SOAP session IDs serve as unique identifiers that maintain state information across multiple requests in the web services environment, enabling authenticated users to perform operations without repeatedly providing credentials. When these identifiers become discoverable through improper access controls or information disclosure mechanisms, they create a pathway for attackers to impersonate legitimate users and execute privileged actions within the vCenter Server environment. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-200, which addresses information exposure, and represents a classic case of insufficient session management security controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with the means to escalate privileges and potentially compromise entire virtualized infrastructures. Local users who can discover SOAP session IDs gain access to authenticated sessions that may contain elevated privileges, allowing them to perform administrative operations such as creating or modifying virtual machines, managing user accounts, or accessing sensitive configuration data. This threat is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where vCenter Server serves as the central management point for large-scale virtual infrastructures, as the compromise of a single session identifier could enable attackers to gain control over critical virtualized resources. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1563.002, which covers "Account Access Removal" and "Remote Services" through compromised session identifiers.
The security implications of CVE-2011-1788 demonstrate the critical importance of proper session management in enterprise software systems. When session identifiers become discoverable through local access vectors, it indicates a fundamental weakness in the application's security architecture that could be exploited by both internal and external threat actors. Organizations utilizing affected vCenter Server versions face significant risk of unauthorized access to their virtualized environments, potentially leading to data breaches, service disruption, or complete system compromise. The vulnerability highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of authentication mechanisms and proper implementation of access controls that prevent information disclosure through unintended channels. This flaw represents a failure in the principle of least privilege, where local users should not have access to session identifiers that could be used to escalate their privileges within the system. The remediation approach requires immediate deployment of VMware updates to address the session identifier disclosure issue and implementation of proper access controls to prevent unauthorized discovery of authentication tokens.