CVE-2011-4608 in JBoss Enterprise Application Platform
Summary
by MITRE
mod_cluster in JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 5.1.2 for Red Hat Linux allows worker nodes to register with arbitrary virtual hosts, which allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions and provide malicious content, hijack sessions, and steal credentials by registering from an external vhost that does not enforce security constraints.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/29/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-4608 affects mod_cluster within the JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 5.1.2 running on Red Hat Linux systems. This security flaw resides in the cluster management component that handles worker node registration and virtual host configuration. The issue stems from insufficient validation mechanisms that permit worker nodes to register with arbitrary virtual host configurations without proper authorization checks. This weakness creates a fundamental breach in the application platform's security architecture by allowing external entities to manipulate the virtual host associations that control access to deployed applications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits a design flaw in the mod_cluster module's registration process where worker nodes can specify virtual host names during their registration phase. When worker nodes register with arbitrary virtual hosts, they effectively bypass the normal access control mechanisms that should restrict which virtual hosts can be managed by specific worker nodes. This registration capability enables attackers to associate malicious content with virtual hosts that do not enforce the standard security constraints typically applied to protected applications. The flaw operates at the application layer and leverages the cluster management protocols that facilitate communication between the load balancer and worker nodes in a clustered environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple access bypass to encompass serious security compromise scenarios including session hijacking, credential theft, and malicious content injection. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to register worker nodes under virtual hosts that lack proper authentication and authorization controls, thereby gaining unauthorized access to sensitive applications and data. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where security policies are enforced at the virtual host level, as attackers can effectively circumvent these protections by simply registering with different virtual host names. This creates a scenario where legitimate security measures become ineffective, allowing attackers to manipulate the cluster configuration to serve malicious content or intercept user sessions.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including restricting external access to the mod_cluster management interfaces, implementing stricter worker node registration validation, and configuring virtual host security policies to prevent unauthorized registrations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization in security-critical components, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential access through manipulation of application components. Security measures should include network segmentation to isolate cluster management interfaces, implementation of certificate-based authentication for worker node registrations, and regular monitoring of virtual host configurations for unauthorized changes. Additionally, system administrators should consider upgrading to patched versions of JBoss Enterprise Application Platform where the vulnerability has been addressed through enhanced validation mechanisms that properly enforce virtual host restrictions during worker node registration processes.