CVE-2012-5055 in SpringSource Spring Security
Summary
by MITRE
DaoAuthenticationProvider in VMware SpringSource Spring Security before 2.0.8, 3.0.x before 3.0.8, and 3.1.x before 3.1.3 does not check the password if the user is not found, which makes the response delay shorter and might allow remote attackers to enumerate valid usernames via a series of login requests.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/16/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5055 affects VMware SpringSource Spring Security versions prior to 2.0.8, 3.0.x prior to 3.0.8, and 3.1.x prior to 3.1.3, specifically within the DaoAuthenticationProvider component. This flaw represents a timing attack vulnerability that exploits the inconsistent response times between valid and invalid user authentication attempts. The vulnerability stems from the authentication provider's design where it does not perform password validation when a user account is not found in the system, resulting in a reduced response delay that can be statistically analyzed by attackers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the authentication provider level where the system's response time varies based on whether a user exists in the directory or not. When an attacker submits a login request with a non-existent username, the system skips password verification and returns a response more quickly than when validating a legitimate user account. This timing discrepancy creates a side-channel attack vector that allows for user enumeration attacks. The flaw directly maps to CWE-203, which describes "Information Exposure Through Discrepancy" where timing differences in system responses reveal information about the internal state.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to perform user enumeration attacks with minimal resources and technical expertise. Attackers can systematically submit login requests with various username combinations and measure response times to distinguish between valid and invalid accounts. This information can then be leveraged to build targeted credential stuffing attacks or to identify valid user accounts for further exploitation. The vulnerability affects authentication systems that rely on username-based account discovery and can significantly weaken the overall security posture of applications using vulnerable Spring Security versions.
The attack pattern aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers "Valid Accounts: Default Accounts" and T1586.003, "Compromise Accounts: Credential Access" through timing-based enumeration methods. Organizations using affected Spring Security versions face increased risk of account takeover attacks and credential compromise. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it does not require elevated privileges or specialized tools beyond basic network access and timing measurement capabilities. The remediation approach involves upgrading to patched versions of Spring Security where the authentication provider consistently performs password validation regardless of account existence, ensuring uniform response times that do not leak information about user account validity.
Security practitioners should implement additional mitigations including rate limiting, account lockout mechanisms, and monitoring for unusual authentication patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of considering side-channel attack vectors in security design and highlights the need for consistent response times in authentication systems to prevent information leakage through timing discrepancies. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected Spring Security versions and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place to prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in the future.