CVE-2011-2401 in SiteScope
Summary
by MITRE
Session fixation vulnerability in HP SiteScope 9.x, 10.x, and 11.x allows remote attackers to hijack web sessions via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/02/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-2401 represents a critical session fixation flaw affecting HP SiteScope versions 9.x, 10.x, and 11.x. This security weakness resides in the web application's session management mechanisms, specifically in how the system handles authentication tokens and session identifiers. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to exploit the session handling process without requiring authentication, creating a pathway for unauthorized access to user sessions and potentially full system compromise. Session fixation vulnerabilities typically occur when an application fails to properly invalidate or regenerate session identifiers upon successful authentication, leaving the original session token accessible to attackers who can then reuse it to impersonate legitimate users.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper session lifecycle management within the HP SiteScope web interface. When users authenticate to the system, the application should generate a new, unique session identifier and invalidate the previous one. However, in affected versions, the system maintains or reuses existing session tokens, enabling attackers to capture valid session identifiers through various means such as network sniffing, cross-site scripting attacks, or by directly accessing session cookies. This flaw falls under the category of CWE-384, which specifically addresses session fixation vulnerabilities where the application fails to properly handle session identifiers during authentication processes. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because HP SiteScope is typically used for monitoring and managing critical infrastructure, making unauthorized access to the system highly dangerous.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it can lead to complete system compromise and data breaches within enterprise environments. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can monitor, modify, or disrupt the monitoring processes that HP SiteScope manages, potentially causing significant operational disruptions to critical infrastructure. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries can exploit this weakness from anywhere on the network, making it particularly dangerous for organizations that expose SiteScope interfaces to external networks. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.003, which covers legitimate credentials and session management, and can be leveraged as part of broader attack chains where initial access leads to privilege escalation and lateral movement within the network.
Organizations using affected HP SiteScope versions should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches or updates that address the session fixation issue. The most effective immediate solution involves ensuring that session identifiers are properly regenerated upon successful authentication and that old session tokens are invalidated. Additionally, implementing proper session management policies such as secure cookie attributes, session timeout mechanisms, and regular session validation checks can significantly reduce the risk. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the SiteScope interface, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual session activity patterns. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar issues in other applications within their infrastructure.