CVE-2012-5395 in MediaWiki
Summary
by MITRE
Session fixation vulnerability in the CentralAuth extension for 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 centralauth_Session cookie.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/10/2019
The CVE-2012-5395 vulnerability represents a critical session fixation flaw within the CentralAuth extension of MediaWiki platforms, affecting versions prior to specific security patches. This vulnerability specifically targets the authentication mechanism that manages user sessions across multiple wiki instances within a centralized authentication system. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the centralauth_Session cookie, which serves as the primary session identifier for users authenticated through the CentralAuth extension, thereby creating a pathway for unauthorized session takeover attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper session handling within the CentralAuth extension's authentication flow. When users authenticate through the centralized system, the extension generates a session cookie that should be unique and unpredictable for each authentication event. However, the flaw allows attackers to manipulate or reuse existing session identifiers, effectively enabling them to hijack active user sessions without requiring valid credentials. This occurs because the system fails to properly invalidate or regenerate session identifiers upon successful authentication, leaving previously established session tokens vulnerable to reuse.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session hijacking, as it can lead to complete unauthorized access to user accounts and potentially compromise the entire wiki platform. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to impersonate legitimate users, access restricted content, modify wiki pages, and perform administrative actions depending on the user's permissions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where multiple wiki instances share a single authentication system, as compromising one session can potentially affect access across all connected platforms. This creates a cascading security risk that can undermine the integrity of entire wiki networks.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected MediaWiki installations to versions 1.18.6, 1.19.3, or 1.20.1, which contain the necessary fixes to properly handle session regeneration during authentication. Organizations should also implement additional protective measures such as enforcing secure cookie attributes including HttpOnly and Secure flags, implementing proper session timeout mechanisms, and monitoring for suspicious authentication patterns. From a compliance standpoint, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-384, which addresses session fixation issues, and represents a critical concern under ATT&CK technique T1563.002 for credential access through session hijacking. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper session management practices and highlights the need for regular security assessments of authentication systems, particularly in collaborative platforms where centralized authentication mechanisms are employed. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication as an additional layer of protection against session-based attacks.