CVE-2014-0034 in JBoss Enterprise Application Platform
Summary
by MITRE
The SecurityTokenService (STS) in Apache CXF before 2.6.12 and 2.7.x before 2.7.9 does not properly validate SAML tokens when caching is enabled, which allows remote attackers to gain access via an invalid SAML token.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/24/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-0034 represents a critical authentication flaw within the Apache CXF SecurityTokenService implementation that affects versions prior to 2.6.12 and 2.7.9. This issue specifically targets the SAML token validation process when caching mechanisms are enabled, creating a significant security risk that could be exploited by remote attackers to bypass authentication controls. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of Security Assertion Markup Language tokens during the caching phase, allowing malicious actors to leverage invalid tokens for unauthorized system access.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of SAML token validation within the STS component when caching is enabled. The SecurityTokenService in affected Apache CXF versions fails to adequately verify the authenticity and validity of SAML assertions before storing them in the cache. This flaw creates a window of opportunity where attackers can submit malformed or expired SAML tokens that, due to the incomplete validation process, are accepted and cached. When subsequent authentication requests are processed, the system may incorrectly accept these cached invalid tokens, effectively granting unauthorized access to protected resources.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk to organizations relying on Apache CXF for web services security and identity management. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as it can potentially enable attackers to escalate privileges, access sensitive data, or perform operations within the protected system that should only be available to authenticated users. The remote exploitation aspect means that attackers do not require physical access to the system or network proximity, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous in distributed environments where web services are exposed to external networks.
The security implications of CVE-2014-0034 align with CWE-287, which addresses improper authentication issues in software systems. This weakness specifically manifests as a failure to properly validate security tokens, creating a path for privilege escalation and unauthorized access. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers valid accounts through compromised credentials, as attackers could leverage cached invalid tokens to maintain persistent access to systems. Organizations implementing Apache CXF for security token services should consider this vulnerability as part of their broader identity and access management security posture.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected Apache CXF installations to versions 2.6.12 or 2.7.9 and later. Security administrators should also consider disabling SAML token caching where possible, as this removes the specific attack vector that enables exploitation. Additionally, organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring of authentication attempts and cache operations to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access controls should be reviewed to limit exposure of vulnerable web services, while regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components of the security infrastructure. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched environments to ensure that the security fixes do not introduce compatibility issues with existing applications or services relying on the affected STS functionality.