CVE-2013-2133 in JBoss Enterprise Application Platform
Summary
by MITRE
The EJB invocation handler implementation in Red Hat JBossWS, as used in JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) before 6.2.0, does not properly enforce the method level restrictions for JAX-WS Service endpoints, which allows remote authenticated users to access otherwise restricted JAX-WS handlers by leveraging permissions to the EJB class.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/27/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-2133 represents a critical authorization flaw within the JBossWS framework implementation in Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform. This issue affects versions prior to 6.2.0 and stems from improper enforcement of method-level security restrictions for JAX-WS service endpoints. The flaw exists in the EJB invocation handler implementation which fails to adequately validate access permissions when processing JAX-WS requests, creating a pathway for unauthorized access to restricted service handlers.
The technical nature of this vulnerability lies in the misconfiguration of security boundaries between EJB components and JAX-WS service endpoints. When authenticated users make requests to JAX-WS services, the system should enforce strict method-level access controls that align with the security policies defined for the underlying EJB classes. However, the flawed implementation allows attackers with legitimate authentication credentials to bypass these controls and access methods that should be restricted based on role-based access control policies. This misalignment creates a privilege escalation scenario where legitimate users can leverage their authenticated status to access unauthorized functionality.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability significantly undermines the security posture of JBoss EAP deployments by allowing authenticated attackers to access restricted JAX-WS handlers that contain sensitive business logic or administrative functions. The attack vector requires only authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by insiders or compromised legitimate users. The vulnerability essentially creates a backdoor through which attackers can access service endpoints that should be protected by method-level security constraints, potentially leading to data exposure, service disruption, or further privilege escalation within the application environment.
The security implications extend beyond simple unauthorized access, as this vulnerability can be leveraged as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks within the application stack. Attackers could potentially use this flaw to identify and exploit additional vulnerabilities in restricted service handlers, or to gather information about the underlying application architecture. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for social engineering, as the attack exploits legitimate authentication mechanisms to gain unauthorized access. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to JBoss EAP 6.2.0 or later versions, reviewing and strengthening method-level security configurations for JAX-WS endpoints, and implementing additional monitoring controls to detect anomalous access patterns to restricted service handlers.