CVE-2015-8466 in Swift3
Summary
by MITRE
Swift3 before 1.9 allows remote attackers to conduct replay attacks via an Authorization request that lacks a Date header.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-8466 affects Swift3 versions prior to 1.9 and represents a significant security flaw in the authentication mechanism of the Swift object storage system. This issue enables remote attackers to perform replay attacks by exploiting the absence of proper timestamp validation in authorization requests. The vulnerability stems from the system's reliance on the Date header for request authentication and validation, creating a window of opportunity for malicious actors to intercept and reuse valid authentication requests within the system's tolerance period.
The technical flaw manifests in the authentication processing logic where Swift3 fails to adequately validate the temporal aspects of authorization requests. When an Authorization request is submitted without a Date header, the system does not properly reject or authenticate the request, allowing attackers to leverage previously captured valid requests. This weakness directly violates the fundamental principles of secure authentication protocols where time-based validation is essential to prevent replay attacks. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-347 as it involves improper validation of cryptographic signatures or authentication tokens, specifically failing to validate the timestamp component of the authentication process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access attempts and can result in comprehensive system compromise. Attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to stored objects, modify data, or perform administrative operations within the Swift environment. The replay attack capability means that even if the original authentication token has expired, attackers can reuse intercepted requests that lack proper timestamp validation, effectively bypassing time-based security controls. This vulnerability particularly affects cloud storage environments where Swift3 serves as the primary object storage solution, potentially exposing sensitive data to unauthorized access and manipulation.
Organizations using Swift3 versions before 1.9 should prioritize immediate remediation through patching to version 1.9 or later, which includes proper Date header validation. Additional mitigations include implementing strict header validation policies, enforcing mandatory Date header requirements for all authentication requests, and deploying network-level controls to monitor and block requests lacking proper authentication headers. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers credential harvesting through various methods including the exploitation of weak authentication mechanisms. Security teams should also implement comprehensive logging and monitoring of authentication requests to detect potential replay attack attempts and establish automated alerting for requests missing required Date headers. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments to identify all systems using vulnerable Swift3 versions and ensure complete remediation across their infrastructure to prevent exploitation of this authentication bypass vulnerability.