CVE-2011-3636 in FreeIPA
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the management interface in FreeIPA before 2.1.4 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that make configuration changes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/05/2025
The CVE-2011-3636 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw in the FreeIPA management interface prior to version 2.1.4. This vulnerability resides within the authentication and authorization mechanisms of the Identity, Policy, and Audit (IPA) system, which is designed to provide centralized identity management for enterprise environments. FreeIPA serves as a comprehensive solution that combines Red Hat Directory Server, MIT Kerberos, and NTP to deliver robust identity management capabilities. The vulnerability specifically targets the administrative interface where privileged users perform configuration changes and system management tasks. Attackers can exploit this weakness to manipulate administrative functions without possessing valid credentials, effectively enabling unauthorized modification of critical system parameters and user configurations.
The technical flaw manifests in the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms within the management interface. When administrators access the FreeIPA web interface to perform administrative tasks, the system fails to implement adequate anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms that would ensure requests originate from legitimate authenticated sessions. This omission creates a scenario where malicious actors can craft specially crafted web pages or exploit existing vulnerabilities in web browsers to trick authenticated administrators into executing unintended administrative commands. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the administrative layer, allowing attackers to modify system configurations, add or remove users, change permissions, and potentially compromise the entire identity management infrastructure. The flaw is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments and T1548.002 for privilege escalation through abuse of administrative tools.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it can lead to complete compromise of the identity management system. An attacker who successfully exploits this CSRF vulnerability can modify user accounts, create new administrative users, change group memberships, and alter system policies that govern access control. The consequences include potential data breaches, unauthorized system modifications, and the ability to establish persistent access to the enterprise network through compromised identity management infrastructure. Organizations relying on FreeIPA for identity management face significant risk as this vulnerability allows attackers to essentially take control of the entire authentication and authorization system. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where FreeIPA is used to manage hundreds or thousands of users and systems, as a successful exploitation could result in widespread compromise of the organization's digital identity infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2011-3636 primarily focus on upgrading to FreeIPA version 2.1.4 or later, which includes proper CSRF protection mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all FreeIPA installations are updated promptly. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious cross-site requests, enabling strict content security policies, and conducting regular security assessments of the management interface. Network segmentation and monitoring of administrative access patterns can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts and establishing strict access controls for the management interface. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and anti-CSRF token implementation in web applications, particularly those handling sensitive administrative functions. Organizations should review their security configurations and ensure that all administrative interfaces implement robust CSRF protection mechanisms to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in other systems.