CVE-2015-3189 in Cloud Foundry Runtime
Summary
by MITRE
With Cloud Foundry Runtime cf-release versions v208 or earlier, UAA Standalone versions 2.2.5 or earlier and Pivotal Cloud Foundry Runtime 1.4.5 or earlier, old Password Reset Links are not expired after the user changes their current email address to a new one. This vulnerability is applicable only when using the UAA internal user store for authentication. Deployments enabled for integration via SAML or LDAP are not affected.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2015-3189 represents a critical authentication flaw within the Cloud Foundry User Account and Authentication (UAA) system that affects multiple versions of the platform's runtime components. This issue specifically targets deployments utilizing the UAA internal user store for authentication purposes, creating a persistent security risk that could be exploited by malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to user accounts. The vulnerability stems from inadequate session management and token expiration mechanisms within the password reset functionality, allowing attackers to potentially leverage compromised or outdated password reset links even after users have updated their email addresses.
The technical flaw manifests when users change their email addresses within the Cloud Foundry environment, as the system fails to properly invalidate previously generated password reset links associated with the old email addresses. This creates a window of opportunity where attackers who have obtained access to these old reset links can still use them to reset passwords and gain control of accounts, despite the legitimate user having already updated their contact information. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the authentication layer of the platform, where successful exploitation could lead to complete account compromise and subsequent unauthorized access to cloud resources and applications managed through Cloud Foundry. This flaw directly relates to CWE-613, which addresses insufficient session expiration, and represents a failure in proper token lifecycle management within the UAA system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple account compromise to potentially enable broader security breaches within Cloud Foundry deployments. Attackers could exploit this weakness to perform account takeover attacks, especially in environments where multiple users share similar email address patterns or where password reuse occurs across different systems. The vulnerability's scope is limited to deployments using the UAA internal user store, which means organizations that have configured their Cloud Foundry environments to integrate with external identity providers such as SAML or LDAP are not affected. However, this limitation does not reduce the severity of the issue for affected deployments, as it still creates a significant attack surface for credential compromise. The impact is particularly severe in multi-tenant environments where a single compromised account could potentially provide access to multiple applications and resources managed by different teams or organizations within the same Cloud Foundry instance.
Organizations affected by CVE-2015-3189 should implement immediate mitigations to address the vulnerability, including upgrading to patched versions of Cloud Foundry Runtime cf-release, UAA Standalone, and Pivotal Cloud Foundry Runtime that resolve this issue. The recommended approach involves verifying current deployment versions against the affected ranges and applying appropriate patches or updates to ensure proper token expiration and session management. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough audits of existing password reset links and implement monitoring mechanisms to detect potential unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability's alignment with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts and T1531 for credential access through compromised accounts highlights the need for comprehensive security monitoring and incident response procedures. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication and enhanced session management policies to reduce the attack surface and mitigate potential exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the future.