CVE-2014-2875 in CGILua
Summary
by MITRE
The session.lua library in CGILua 5.2 alpha 1 and 5.2 alpha 2 uses weak session IDs generated based on OS time, which allows remote attackers to hijack arbitrary sessions via a brute force attack. NOTE: CVE-2014-10399 and CVE-2014-10400 were SPLIT from this ID.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-2875 affects the session.lua library within CGILua versions 5.2 alpha 1 and 2, representing a critical security flaw in session management that enables unauthorized access to user sessions. This issue stems from the implementation of weak session identification mechanisms that rely on operating system time as a primary factor in generating session identifiers, creating predictable and guessable session tokens that can be easily exploited by malicious actors. The flaw directly violates fundamental security principles for session management and authentication systems, making it a significant target for exploitation in web application attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in how the session.lua library generates session IDs, which are constructed using time-based components from the operating system rather than cryptographically secure random number generation. This approach results in session identifiers that follow predictable patterns, allowing attackers to perform brute force attacks against session tokens by guessing valid session IDs based on temporal patterns. The weakness in entropy generation creates a scenario where an attacker can systematically iterate through potential session identifiers, significantly reducing the time and computational resources required to compromise active user sessions. This flaw aligns with CWE-330, which specifically addresses the use of insufficiently random values in security-critical contexts, and represents a direct violation of the principle that session identifiers must be unpredictable and resistant to guessing attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple session hijacking, as it can lead to complete unauthorized access to user accounts and sensitive application data. Attackers can exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate users, access restricted resources, modify data, and potentially escalate privileges within the affected application environment. The vulnerability particularly affects web applications built using CGILua that rely on session-based authentication, making it a widespread concern for organizations using this particular framework. The brute force nature of the attack means that even with basic protections in place, the predictable session generation makes it relatively straightforward for attackers to gain unauthorized access, especially when combined with other attack vectors such as session fixation or cross-site scripting vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-2875 require immediate attention to the session management implementation within affected CGILua applications. Organizations should upgrade to patched versions of CGILua that implement cryptographically secure random number generation for session identifiers, ensuring that session tokens are sufficiently random and unpredictable. The solution must incorporate proper entropy sources and randomness generators that meet industry standards for cryptographic security, as outlined in NIST SP 800-90A for random number generation. Additionally, implementing session timeout mechanisms, secure session cookie attributes, and monitoring for suspicious session activity can help reduce the attack surface. Security practitioners should also consider implementing additional layers of authentication such as multi-factor authentication and session binding to IP addresses or user agents as supplementary protections. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper random number generation in security-critical systems and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential access through session hijacking, emphasizing the need for robust session management practices in web application security frameworks.