CVE-2011-4129 in libsocialweb
Summary
by MITRE
(1) services/twitter/twitter-contact-view.c and (2) services/twitter/twitter-item-view.c in libsocialweb before 0.25.20 automatically connect to Twitter when no Twitter account is set, which might allow remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/19/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2011-4129 represents a significant security flaw in the libsocialweb library version 0.25.19 and earlier, where the software automatically establishes connections to Twitter services without proper user authentication or account configuration. This behavior creates an exploitable condition that allows remote attackers to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks and potentially access sensitive information. The flaw specifically affects two components within the library: services/twitter/twitter-contact-view.c and services/twitter/twitter-item-view.c, which handle Twitter contact and item viewing functionalities respectively. These files demonstrate a dangerous programming practice where the application attempts to connect to external services without verifying the presence or validity of user credentials, creating an attack surface that adversaries can exploit.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper connection handling within the social web services framework. When no Twitter account is configured, the system automatically attempts to establish a connection to Twitter's API endpoints without requiring user authentication or explicit authorization. This automatic connection behavior violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and explicit user consent, creating a scenario where network traffic is sent to Twitter servers without proper authentication tokens or secure channel establishment. The vulnerability essentially allows an attacker positioned between the user's device and Twitter's servers to intercept communications, potentially capturing session data, authentication tokens, or other sensitive information transmitted during the automatic connection process. This type of flaw falls under the category of insecure connection handling and can be classified as a weakness in the system's security architecture.
The operational impact of CVE-2011-4129 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a persistent attack vector that can be exploited regardless of user awareness or security practices. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential harvesting, and surveillance operations. The automatic connection behavior means that even users who are not actively using Twitter services are vulnerable to these attacks, as the system will attempt to connect to Twitter servers without user knowledge or consent. This vulnerability particularly affects systems where users rely on social web integration services, making it a significant concern for desktop environments and applications that utilize libsocialweb for social networking functionality. The attack surface is further expanded because the automatic connection occurs without user interaction, making it difficult for users to detect or prevent the unauthorized network activity.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with several established frameworks and classifications including CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weakness, and ATT&CK techniques related to credential access and network sniffing. The automatic connection behavior without proper authentication creates a cryptographic vulnerability where sensitive information flows through potentially unencrypted channels, making it susceptible to interception. Organizations and users affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including updating to libsocialweb version 0.25.20 or later, which contains the necessary patches to prevent automatic connections when no account is configured. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing network monitoring to detect unauthorized Twitter connections and ensure that proper firewall rules are in place to restrict outbound connections to Twitter services unless explicitly required. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and authentication requirements in social web service implementations, emphasizing that automatic connection behaviors must be carefully controlled to prevent security exposures.