CVE-2015-5171 in Runtime
Summary
by MITRE
The password change functionality in Cloud Foundry Runtime cf-release before 216, UAA before 2.5.2, and Pivotal Cloud Foundry (PCF) Elastic Runtime before 1.7.0 allow attackers to have unspecified impact by leveraging failure to expire existing sessions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-5171 represents a critical session management flaw within Cloud Foundry's authentication infrastructure that affects multiple components including the Cloud Foundry Runtime cf-release versions prior to 216, the User Account and Authentication (UAA) service before version 2.5.2, and Pivotal Cloud Foundry Elastic Runtime before version 1.7.0. This vulnerability specifically targets the password change functionality and exploits a fundamental failure in session expiration mechanisms that leaves systems susceptible to unauthorized access and potential privilege escalation attacks. The issue stems from the improper handling of user sessions during authentication transitions, creating a window where attackers can leverage existing authenticated sessions even after password changes have been implemented. This flaw operates at the intersection of authentication and session management, creating a dangerous scenario where compromised credentials can persist beyond their intended lifecycle.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the failure of the authentication system to properly invalidate or expire existing user sessions when password changes occur. When a user modifies their password, the system should immediately terminate all active sessions associated with that user account to prevent unauthorized access through previously established authenticated connections. However, in affected versions, this critical session invalidation process fails, allowing attackers who may have obtained session tokens or who have previously authenticated to continue operating within the system under the guise of the legitimate user. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and undermines the fundamental security model of authentication systems. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-613, which addresses Insufficient Session Expiration, and demonstrates how improper session management can create persistent attack vectors that persist beyond the intended scope of authentication changes.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-5171 extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential data breaches, privilege escalation, and system compromise across cloud environments. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to maintain persistent access to systems, potentially leading to data exfiltration, lateral movement within networks, and the ability to perform administrative functions through previously established authenticated sessions. The unspecified impact mentioned in the CVE description reflects the broad potential attack surface and the difficulty in predicting all possible exploitation scenarios. This vulnerability particularly affects cloud-native environments where session management is critical for maintaining security boundaries between users and applications, and where the dynamic nature of cloud infrastructure can amplify the impact of session management failures. The attack vector is particularly concerning in multi-tenant environments where a single compromised session could potentially allow attackers to move between different user accounts or applications within the same infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-5171 require immediate patching of affected components to ensure proper session invalidation during password changes. Organizations should prioritize updating to versions 216 or later for cf-release, 2.5.2 or later for UAA, and 1.7.0 or later for PCF Elastic Runtime to address the core session management flaws. Additional defensive measures include implementing robust session monitoring and logging to detect anomalous session behavior, establishing automatic session timeout mechanisms, and conducting regular security audits of authentication flows. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication as a compensating control to reduce the impact of session hijacking attacks, and ensure that session tokens are properly invalidated during password reset procedures. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and persistence, specifically targeting the T1078 credential access technique and T1098 persistence technique, highlighting the need for comprehensive defensive measures that address both authentication and session management controls.