CVE-2012-5607 in ownCloud
Summary
by MITRE
The "Lost Password" reset functionality in ownCloud before 4.0.9 and 4.5.0 does not properly check the security token, which allows remote attackers to change an accounts password via unspecified vectors related to a "Remote Timing Attack."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/31/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-5607 affects ownCloud versions prior to 4.0.9 and 4.5.0, specifically targeting the password reset mechanism within the "Lost Password" functionality. This security flaw represents a critical weakness in the authentication system that could potentially allow unauthorized individuals to gain access to user accounts through manipulation of the password recovery process.
The core technical issue stems from insufficient validation of security tokens during the password reset procedure. The vulnerability exploits a remote timing attack vector where attackers can measure the time responses take to process password reset requests, thereby inferring information about the validity of security tokens or account existence. This timing-based information leakage creates a side-channel attack surface that undermines the cryptographic security measures intended to protect user credentials.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on ownCloud for file storage and collaboration services. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors can exploit this weakness from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access or prior authentication. The timing attack methodology allows for gradual exploitation where attackers can systematically test different token values while monitoring response times to determine valid tokens, potentially leading to account takeovers across multiple user accounts.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-347, which addresses improper certificate validation and weak cryptographic implementations, as well as ATT&CK technique T1110.003 for credential access through brute force methods. The implementation flaw specifically relates to inadequate input validation and insufficient protection against timing attacks in the password reset workflow. Security researchers have documented similar timing attack patterns in various web applications where response time variations can reveal sensitive information about system operations.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing constant-time comparison algorithms for token validation, adding proper rate limiting and account lockout mechanisms, and ensuring that all security token validation processes return consistent response times regardless of token validity. Organizations should immediately upgrade to patched versions of ownCloud, implement additional monitoring for unusual password reset activity, and consider deploying additional authentication layers such as multi-factor authentication to reduce the impact of potential exploitation. Network-level protections including intrusion detection systems and web application firewalls can help detect and block suspicious timing-based attack patterns.