CVE-2013-4213 in JBoss Enterprise Application Platform
Summary
by MITRE
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) 6.1.0 does not properly cache EJB invocations by the EJB client API, which allows remote attackers to hijack sessions by using an EJB client.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/21/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-4213 affects Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform version 6.1.0 and represents a critical session hijacking issue within the EJB client API implementation. This flaw stems from improper caching mechanisms that govern how EJB invocations are handled between client applications and the application server. The vulnerability specifically impacts the EJB client API's ability to maintain proper session state management, creating opportunities for malicious actors to exploit session handling weaknesses.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the EJB client API's inadequate session caching strategy where EJB invocations are not properly isolated or managed within the caching layer. When EJB clients make multiple requests to the same EJB bean, the system should maintain proper session boundaries and ensure that each client's invocation context remains separate and secure. However, the flawed implementation allows cached EJB invocation data to be improperly shared or reused across different client sessions, enabling an attacker to potentially access another user's session context through manipulation of EJB client requests.
This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-200, which addresses information exposure, and CWE-306, which covers missing authentication. The improper session handling creates an information disclosure scenario where an attacker can potentially gain access to session data that should remain private to legitimate users. The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure as it enables full session hijacking capabilities, allowing attackers to impersonate legitimate users and perform unauthorized actions within the application environment.
From an attack perspective, this vulnerability operates through the EJB client API layer where attackers can manipulate EJB invocation patterns to exploit the flawed caching mechanism. The attack requires remote access to the application server and knowledge of the EJB client implementation details to effectively exploit the session caching flaw. The attacker can leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to user sessions, potentially leading to complete system compromise or unauthorized data access. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers phishing with malicious attachments or links, and T1071, which covers application layer protocol usage, as the attack vector involves manipulating legitimate EJB client communications.
The security implications of this vulnerability are severe as it undermines fundamental session management principles that are critical for maintaining application security. Organizations using JBoss EAP 6.1.0 are at risk of unauthorized access to sensitive business applications and data, particularly in environments where session-based authentication and authorization are heavily relied upon. The vulnerability affects the integrity of the application server's security model by allowing attackers to bypass normal session isolation mechanisms that should protect against cross-user session contamination.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the JBoss EAP 6.1.0 installation to the latest available security updates from Red Hat. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to EJB endpoints and consider additional authentication layers to protect against session hijacking attempts. The implementation of proper session management practices including session timeout configurations, secure session identifier generation, and regular session validation should be enforced. Additionally, monitoring and logging of EJB client activities should be enhanced to detect anomalous access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing application firewalls or intrusion detection systems specifically configured to monitor for EJB client API abuse patterns that could indicate exploitation of this vulnerability.