CVE-2016-10205 in ZoneMinder
Summary
by MITRE
Session fixation vulnerability in Zoneminder 1.30 and earlier allows remote attackers to hijack web sessions via the ZMSESSID cookie.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10205 represents a critical session fixation flaw within ZoneMinder version 1.30 and earlier installations. This security weakness specifically targets the web application's session management mechanism, creating an avenue for remote attackers to exploit the system's authentication process. The vulnerability stems from the application's improper handling of session identifiers, particularly through the ZMSESSID cookie parameter that is used to maintain user sessions within the web interface.
The technical implementation of this flaw allows attackers to manipulate the session identifier that is generated during the authentication process. When users log into the ZoneMinder web interface, the application creates a session cookie that should be unique and unpredictable for each user. However, due to the session fixation vulnerability, the system fails to properly regenerate session identifiers upon successful authentication, leaving the original session ID unchanged. This means that an attacker who can observe or predict a valid session ID can reuse it to gain unauthorized access to user accounts.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to surveillance system security since ZoneMinder is commonly deployed for security monitoring applications where unauthorized access could lead to complete compromise of the surveillance infrastructure. The remote nature of the attack means that an attacker does not need physical access to the system or network to exploit this vulnerability. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as the attacker could potentially manipulate surveillance footage, alter system configurations, or gain access to sensitive security data that the system is designed to protect.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-384, which specifically addresses session fixation issues in web applications where session identifiers are not properly regenerated after authentication. The attack pattern corresponds to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1110 category for credential access, specifically targeting the exploitation of session management weaknesses to maintain persistent access to systems. The flaw demonstrates poor secure coding practices in session management, particularly the failure to implement proper session regeneration upon successful authentication as recommended in OWASP secure coding guidelines.
The recommended mitigation strategies include immediate patching of ZoneMinder installations to versions that address this session fixation vulnerability, implementation of proper session regeneration mechanisms that ensure new session identifiers are generated upon successful authentication, and configuration of secure session cookie attributes including the Secure and HttpOnly flags. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional monitoring for suspicious session-related activities and ensure that session timeout mechanisms are properly configured to minimize the window of opportunity for exploitation. Organizations utilizing ZoneMinder should conduct comprehensive security assessments to verify that all instances have been properly updated and that no legacy systems remain vulnerable to this type of session management attack.