CVE-2012-5391 in MediaWiki
Summary
by MITRE
Session fixation vulnerability in Special:UserLogin in MediaWiki before 1.18.6, 1.19.x before 1.19.3, and 1.20.x before 1.20.1 allows remote attackers to hijack web sessions via the session_id.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/22/2022
The CVE-2012-5391 vulnerability represents a critical session fixation flaw in MediaWiki's Special:UserLogin functionality across multiple versions including 1.18.6, 1.19.3, and 1.20.1. This vulnerability exposes web applications to sophisticated session hijacking attacks where malicious actors can exploit the predictable session management mechanism to gain unauthorized access to user accounts. The flaw specifically manifests in how the MediaWiki application handles session identifiers during the authentication process, creating an exploitable condition that undermines fundamental web security principles. According to CWE-384, this vulnerability falls under the category of session management flaws where applications fail to properly invalidate or regenerate session identifiers upon successful authentication, creating a persistent attack surface that remains viable throughout the user's session lifecycle.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from MediaWiki's failure to properly handle session identifiers during the login process, allowing attackers to manipulate or predict session tokens that are transmitted between client and server. When users navigate to the Special:UserLogin page, the application does not adequately invalidate existing session identifiers or generate fresh ones upon successful authentication, creating a scenario where an attacker can maintain access to a user's session even after legitimate authentication occurs. This flaw operates at the application layer and directly impacts the integrity of the authentication mechanism, as described in ATT&CK technique T1548.003 for hijacking user sessions and T1566 for credential access through session manipulation. The vulnerability specifically affects the session management component of MediaWiki's authentication architecture, where session tokens are not properly rotated or invalidated upon user login completion.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential data breaches, privilege escalation, and persistent unauthorized access to sensitive user information within MediaWiki installations. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can maintain access to user accounts indefinitely, potentially gaining access to private content, editing capabilities, and administrative functions depending on the user's role within the MediaWiki system. The vulnerability's widespread presence across multiple version branches indicates a systemic issue in MediaWiki's session management implementation that could affect numerous organizations relying on the platform for collaborative content management. Organizations running vulnerable versions of MediaWiki face significant risk of unauthorized data access and potential compromise of their collaborative environments, particularly in scenarios where sensitive information is stored in wiki repositories.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-5391 require immediate patching of affected MediaWiki installations to versions 1.18.6, 1.19.3, or 1.20.1, which contain the necessary session management fixes. Administrators should also implement proper session invalidation procedures and ensure that session identifiers are regenerated upon successful authentication events. Additional defensive measures include monitoring for suspicious login patterns, implementing secure session cookie attributes such as HttpOnly and Secure flags, and conducting regular security audits of authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper session management practices and demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation flaws can create significant security risks in web applications. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication controls such as two-factor authentication and session timeout mechanisms to reduce the attack surface and minimize the impact of potential session hijacking attempts.