CVE-2013-7347 in Red Hat
Summary
by MITRE
Luci in Red Hat Conga does not properly enforce the user session timeout, which might allow attackers to gain access to the session by reading the __ac session cookie. NOTE: this issue has been SPLIT due to different vulnerability types. Use CVE-2012-3359 for the base64-encoded storage of the user and password in a cookie.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/09/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-7347 affects the Luci component within Red Hat Conga, a web-based management interface for Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems. This issue represents a critical session management flaw that undermines the security of user authentication mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from improper enforcement of user session timeouts, creating a persistent security risk that can be exploited by malicious actors to maintain unauthorized access to system management interfaces. The flaw specifically relates to the handling of the __ac session cookie, which serves as the primary authentication token for user sessions within the Luci framework.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the failure of the Luci application to properly validate session expiration times and enforce appropriate timeout mechanisms. When users authenticate to the Red Hat Conga management interface, the system generates a session cookie containing authentication credentials or session identifiers. In this case, the __ac cookie appears to store session information that should automatically expire after a predetermined period of inactivity. However, due to the flawed implementation, these sessions remain valid beyond their intended timeout period, allowing attackers to reuse stolen session tokens. This behavior violates fundamental web application security principles and creates a persistent backdoor for unauthorized access attempts.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-7347 extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential system compromise and data breaches. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can maintain persistent access to the Red Hat Conga management interface, potentially gaining administrative privileges over multiple system components. This access could enable attackers to perform system configuration changes, deploy malicious software, access sensitive system information, or conduct further reconnaissance activities within the network. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows attackers to leverage stolen session cookies without requiring additional authentication factors, effectively bypassing multi-factor authentication mechanisms that might otherwise be in place.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of CWE-613, which addresses inadequate session timeout mechanisms, and align it with ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential access through session hijacking. The vulnerability also relates to CWE-384, which covers session management flaws that can result in unauthorized access. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including enforcing strict session timeout policies, implementing automatic session invalidation upon inactivity, and monitoring for suspicious session usage patterns. Additionally, the issue highlights the importance of proper cookie security attributes such as HttpOnly, Secure, and SameSite flags to prevent cross-site scripting attacks that could facilitate session cookie theft.
The vulnerability classification as a session management weakness demonstrates the critical importance of proper authentication lifecycle management in web applications. Organizations should conduct regular security assessments of their management interfaces to identify similar session-related vulnerabilities. The issue also underscores the necessity of implementing comprehensive session monitoring and logging mechanisms that can detect and alert on anomalous session behavior. Security teams should establish protocols for automatic session cleanup and implement network-level controls to prevent unauthorized access attempts. The separation of this vulnerability from CVE-2012-3359, which addresses base64-encoded credential storage in cookies, indicates that multiple distinct security flaws exist within the same application framework, emphasizing the need for thorough code review processes. Organizations should prioritize patching affected systems and implementing additional security controls such as IP whitelisting for management interfaces, multi-factor authentication, and regular security audits to prevent exploitation of similar session management vulnerabilities.