CVE-2013-1814 in Rave
Summary
by MITRE
The users/get program in the User RPC API in Apache Rave 0.11 through 0.20 allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information about all user accounts via the offset parameter, as demonstrated by discovering password hashes in the password field of a response.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-1814 resides within the User RPC API of Apache Rave version 0.11 through 0.20, specifically affecting the users/get program functionality. This security flaw represents a critical information disclosure vulnerability that undermines the confidentiality controls of the affected system. The vulnerability manifests through the improper handling of the offset parameter within the RPC API, which allows authenticated attackers to manipulate query responses and extract sensitive user account information. The issue is particularly concerning because it enables attackers to discover password hashes stored in the password field of user account responses, effectively compromising the authentication security model of the platform.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and parameter handling within the RPC API's user retrieval mechanism. When the offset parameter is manipulated by authenticated users, the system fails to properly sanitize or restrict access to user data, resulting in the exposure of complete user account records including hashed passwords. This flaw directly maps to CWE-200, which defines weaknesses related to information exposure, and more specifically to CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation. The vulnerability represents a classic example of insufficient access control mechanisms where the system does not adequately verify that the requesting user has appropriate authorization to access the requested data, particularly when dealing with sensitive fields like password hashes.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability significantly impacts the security posture of Apache Rave deployments by potentially exposing the entire user base to unauthorized information disclosure. Attackers who can authenticate to the system gain the ability to enumerate all user accounts and extract their corresponding password hashes, which could then be subjected to offline password cracking attacks or used in credential reuse attacks against other systems. The impact extends beyond immediate credential compromise as the exposure of user account information may facilitate further attacks including privilege escalation, account takeovers, and social engineering campaigns. This vulnerability undermines the principle of least privilege and demonstrates a critical failure in the system's data access controls, potentially affecting thousands of user accounts depending on the deployment size.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly those related to credential access and reconnaissance activities. The ability to enumerate user accounts and extract password hashes falls under the credential access category, while the information gathering aspect corresponds to reconnaissance techniques. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input parameter validation, proper access control enforcement, and rate limiting for API endpoints. The recommended remediation involves patching to affected versions of Apache Rave, implementing proper input sanitization for the offset parameter, and ensuring that sensitive fields like password hashes are not exposed through API responses even to authenticated users. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive security audits of their RPC APIs and implement proper logging mechanisms to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts.