CVE-2012-4446 in Qpid
Summary
by MITRE
The default configuration for Apache Qpid 0.20 and earlier, when the federation_tag attribute is enabled, accepts AMQP connections without checking the source user ID, which allows remote attackers to bypass authentication and have other unspecified impact via an AMQP request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-4446 represents a critical authentication bypass flaw within Apache Qpid messaging broker versions 0.20 and earlier. This issue specifically manifests when the federation_tag attribute is enabled in the default configuration, creating a significant security gap that undermines the fundamental authentication mechanisms of the AMQP protocol implementation. The flaw allows remote attackers to establish AMQP connections without proper user identity verification, effectively circumventing the security controls that should govern access to messaging services.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper validation of connection parameters within the federation feature implementation. When federation_tag is enabled, the system fails to perform adequate authentication checks on incoming AMQP requests, particularly regarding source user identification. This misconfiguration creates an attack vector where malicious actors can exploit the absence of user ID validation to gain unauthorized access to the messaging infrastructure. The vulnerability operates at the protocol level, targeting the AMQP connection establishment process where authentication credentials should be verified before granting service access.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms entirely, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, message interception, or even system compromise. The unspecified impact mentioned in the CVE description suggests that the consequences could extend beyond simple unauthorized access, potentially including data manipulation, service disruption, or further exploitation opportunities. Organizations relying on Apache Qpid for message queuing and broker services face significant risk exposure, particularly in environments where security boundaries are not properly enforced through network segmentation or additional access controls.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting. Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including disabling the federation_tag attribute when not required, updating to Apache Qpid versions 0.22 or later where this vulnerability has been addressed, and implementing network-level controls to restrict access to AMQP ports. Additionally, security administrators should review and harden default configurations, ensuring that authentication mechanisms are properly enforced for all connection types and that proper access controls are implemented to prevent unauthorized system access through this authentication bypass vulnerability.