CVE-2012-2379 in CXF
Summary
by MITRE
Apache CXF 2.4.x before 2.4.8, 2.5.x before 2.5.4, and 2.6.x before 2.6.1, when a Supporting Token specifies a child WS-SecurityPolicy 1.1 or 1.2 policy, does not properly ensure that an XML element is signed or encrypted, which has unspecified impact and attack vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2379 affects Apache CXF versions prior to 2.4.8, 2.5.4, and 2.6.1, representing a critical flaw in the web services security implementation within the Apache CXF framework. This issue specifically manifests when a Supporting Token references child WS-SecurityPolicy 1.1 or 1.2 policies, creating a scenario where the security framework fails to properly validate that XML elements are adequately signed or encrypted. The vulnerability stems from insufficient enforcement mechanisms that should ensure all security-relevant elements are properly protected according to the specified security policy requirements.
The technical flaw in CVE-2012-2379 resides in the improper validation logic within Apache CXF's WS-Security implementation, which operates under the WS-SecurityPolicy standard. When processing Supporting Tokens that reference child policies, the framework does not correctly verify that all required XML elements are properly secured through signing or encryption mechanisms. This creates a potential security gap where sensitive data or security tokens could be processed without adequate protection, potentially allowing attackers to exploit this weakness to manipulate or intercept security-relevant information within web service communications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends across various enterprise environments that rely on Apache CXF for web service security implementations. Organizations using affected versions may experience unauthorized access to sensitive data, potential man-in-the-middle attacks, or credential theft through weakened security boundaries. The unspecified impact and attack vectors indicate that the vulnerability could be exploited in multiple ways depending on the specific implementation and security context, making it particularly dangerous as it may allow for both passive and active attack scenarios. This vulnerability directly undermines the fundamental security assurances that WS-SecurityPolicy is designed to provide, potentially compromising the integrity and confidentiality of web service communications.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-310, which addresses cryptographic weaknesses in security implementations, and represents a failure in proper security policy enforcement. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and defense evasion through manipulation of security controls. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including upgrading to patched versions of Apache CXF, implementing additional monitoring for unauthorized access attempts, and conducting thorough security assessments of all web service implementations that utilize affected versions. The remediation process requires careful evaluation of existing security policies to ensure proper enforcement of signing and encryption requirements, along with comprehensive testing to validate that the patched implementation properly enforces security policies for all supporting tokens and child policy references.