CVE-2011-2190 in Cherokee
Summary
by MITRE
The generate_admin_password function in Cherokee before 1.2.99 uses time and PID values for seeding of a random number generator, which makes it easier for local users to determine admin passwords via a brute-force attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/23/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2190 resides in the Cherokee web server software prior to version 1.2.99, specifically within the generate_admin_password function. This flaw represents a significant weakness in the system's cryptographic randomness implementation that directly impacts the security of administrative access. The vulnerability stems from the use of predictable seeding values including time and process identifier information when initializing the random number generator responsible for creating administrator passwords. This approach fundamentally undermines the security properties expected from cryptographic random number generation, as the seeding mechanism provides insufficient entropy for generating secure passwords.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows a well-documented pattern of poor randomness seeding that aligns with CWE-330, which addresses the use of insufficiently random values in security contexts. The time and PID values used for seeding are inherently predictable and expose the random number generator to brute-force attacks. Attackers can reproduce the exact same seed values by knowing the approximate time of password generation and the process identification information, allowing them to reverse-engineer the generated passwords through systematic enumeration. This weakness creates a direct pathway for local users to compromise administrative access without requiring external network exposure or sophisticated attack vectors.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability significantly weakens the security posture of systems running affected Cherokee versions. The ease with which administrative passwords can be determined through brute-force techniques transforms what should be a secure access control mechanism into a trivial target for attackers. The vulnerability affects both local users who have access to the system and potentially remote attackers who can leverage additional reconnaissance to gather timing information. This weakness directly relates to the ATT&CK technique T1212, which involves exploitation of software vulnerabilities to gain access to systems through predictable credential generation.
The mitigation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate upgrade to Cherokee version 1.2.99 or later, which implements proper random number seeding using cryptographically secure methods. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls including account lockout mechanisms, monitoring for unusual login patterns, and regular password rotation. The fix addresses the root cause by ensuring that random number generation utilizes high-entropy sources such as system-level randomness providers or hardware random number generators rather than predictable time-based values. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any other instances where similar weak random number generation practices might exist within their infrastructure.