CVE-2012-1100 in JBoss Operations Network
Summary
by MITRE
Red Hat JBoss Operations Network (JON) 3.0.x before 3.0.1, 2.4.2, and earlier, when LDAP authentication is enabled and the LDAP bind account credentials are invalid, allows remote attackers to login to LDAP-based accounts via an arbitrary password in a login request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/25/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-1100 affects Red Hat JBoss Operations Network versions 3.0.x before 3.0.1 and 2.4.2, presenting a critical authentication bypass flaw that undermines the security of LDAP-based user access controls. This issue specifically manifests when LDAP authentication is enabled within the JON environment and the configured LDAP bind account credentials are invalid or improperly configured, creating a dangerous misconfiguration that allows unauthorized access to legitimate LDAP accounts through arbitrary password submission.
The technical flaw stems from improper authentication handling within the JON framework's LDAP integration mechanism. When the LDAP bind account credentials are invalid, the system should reject authentication attempts rather than permitting bypass through arbitrary password inputs. However, the vulnerability enables attackers to submit any password in login requests and still gain access to legitimate LDAP accounts, effectively circumventing the intended authentication controls. This represents a fundamental failure in the authentication validation process where the system fails to properly validate the bind credentials before proceeding with account access verification.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, as it allows remote attackers to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to systems protected by LDAP authentication. Attackers can exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate users within the JON environment, potentially accessing sensitive monitoring data, system configurations, and operational controls. The vulnerability essentially transforms the authentication system from a protective barrier into a backdoor, enabling attackers to bypass the normal access control mechanisms that should prevent unauthorized system access. This poses significant risks to enterprise monitoring infrastructure where JON serves as a critical operational management platform.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems, and represents a classic example of authentication bypass through flawed credential validation. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and privilege escalation, specifically targeting the T1110.003 sub-technique for credential access through brute force methods and the T1078 technique for legitimate credential use. The attack vector leverages the weakness in the LDAP integration to achieve unauthorized access without requiring legitimate credentials from the user perspective, making it particularly dangerous for environments where JON manages critical infrastructure monitoring.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the patched versions of JON 3.0.1 or 2.4.2, properly configuring LDAP bind account credentials, and implementing additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication. Network segmentation and monitoring of authentication attempts should be enhanced to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also conduct thorough assessments of all LDAP integrations within their JON environments to identify and remediate similar configuration weaknesses that could enable similar authentication bypass scenarios. Regular security testing and vulnerability scanning should be implemented to proactively identify authentication-related flaws before they can be exploited by malicious actors.