CVE-2015-3375 in Shibboleth Authentication Module
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Shibboleth Authentication module before 6.x-4.1 and 7.x-4.x before 7.x-4.1 for Drupal allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that delete user role matching rules via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/28/2017
The CVE-2015-3375 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery flaw within the Shibboleth Authentication module for Drupal platforms. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to 6.x-4.1 and 7.x-4.x-4.1, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on Shibboleth authentication for their Drupal-based web applications. The flaw enables remote attackers to exploit the authentication system by crafting malicious requests that can manipulate administrative privileges through unauthorized actions.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of request origins within the Shibboleth module's authentication handling mechanisms. Attackers can leverage CSRF techniques to trick authenticated administrators into executing unintended actions without their knowledge or consent. The specific vector involves deleting user role matching rules, which fundamentally compromises the access control policies that govern user permissions within the Drupal environment. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-352, which categorizes cross-site request forgery vulnerabilities as a critical concern in web application security.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it directly undermines the integrity of user access controls and authentication processes. When an administrator is tricked into executing a forged request, the attacker can effectively remove critical role-based access rules that govern who can perform what actions within the system. This creates a scenario where unauthorized users might gain elevated privileges or legitimate administrators lose access to critical system functions. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations using Shibboleth for single sign-on authentication, where the administrative interface is accessible over the internet and potentially exposed to remote attack vectors.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigation strategies focusing on both immediate patching and defensive measures. The primary solution involves upgrading to the patched versions of the Shibboleth Authentication module, specifically versions 6.x-4.1 and 7.x-4.1 or later. Additionally, implementing proper CSRF token validation mechanisms within the application layer provides an additional defensive barrier. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and proper session management practices should also be reviewed and strengthened. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.002 which covers bypassing user account control, and represents a classic example of how authentication system flaws can lead to privilege escalation. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security audits of their Shibboleth configurations and review all authentication-related code paths to identify similar vulnerabilities that might exist in other modules or custom implementations.