CVE-2016-10928 in onelogin-saml-sso Plugin
Summary
by MITRE
The onelogin-saml-sso plugin before 2.2.0 for WordPress has a hardcoded @@@nopass@@@ password for just-in-time provisioned users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/01/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-10928 affects the onelogin-saml-sso plugin for WordPress, specifically versions prior to 2.2.0, and represents a critical security flaw in identity management and user provisioning processes. This issue arises within the plugin's implementation of just-in-time user provisioning functionality, where the system automatically creates new user accounts when SAML authentication occurs for users who do not yet exist in the WordPress database. The flaw manifests through the use of a hardcoded password value that is explicitly set to @nopass@ for these newly created accounts, creating a significant security risk that undermines the integrity of the authentication system.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the insecure handling of user credentials during the automatic provisioning process. When a SAML authentication request is processed and a user account needs to be created, the plugin assigns the hardcoded @nopass@ string as the password for the new user account. This approach violates fundamental security principles and creates an exploitable condition where unauthorized individuals could potentially gain access to newly created accounts. The @nopass@ value serves as a placeholder that indicates to the system that no password should be set, but in this implementation, it effectively creates a backdoor that bypasses normal password validation mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple credential exposure, as it fundamentally compromises the security model of the WordPress site when using SAML authentication. Attackers who gain knowledge of this hardcoded password mechanism could potentially create new user accounts with elevated privileges or exploit the system to gain unauthorized access to the WordPress administrative interface. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where SAML authentication is used for role-based access control, as it could enable attackers to escalate privileges or gain persistent access to sensitive administrative functions. This flaw directly impacts the principle of least privilege and undermines the trust model that SAML authentication is designed to establish.
The security implications of CVE-2016-10928 align with CWE-798, which addresses the use of hardcoded credentials in software implementations, and represents a clear violation of secure coding practices. From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting, as it provides a mechanism for attackers to obtain valid credentials for new user accounts. The vulnerability also relates to T1078.004 for additional cloud credentials and T1566.001 for credential dumping, as it creates a scenario where attackers can leverage the hardcoded password to escalate privileges within the WordPress environment. Organizations using the affected plugin version face a significant risk of unauthorized access and potential data breaches.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action to upgrade the onelogin-saml-sso plugin to version 2.2.0 or later, where the hardcoded password issue has been resolved. System administrators should also conduct thorough audits of all user accounts created through the SAML authentication process to identify and remediate any accounts that may have been compromised. Additionally, organizations should implement additional security controls including multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, regular monitoring of user account creation logs, and enforcement of strong password policies for all accounts within the WordPress environment. The remediation process should also include reviewing and updating SAML authentication configurations to ensure that user provisioning processes properly handle credential generation and that no hardcoded values are used in authentication flows, thereby aligning with industry best practices for secure identity management and access control implementation.