CVE-2016-4311 in Identity Server
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the XACML flow feature in WSO2 Identity Server 5.1.0 allows remote attackers to hijack the authentication of privileged users for requests that process XACML requests via an entitlement/eval-policy-submit.jsp request.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2024
The CVE-2016-4311 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site request forgery weakness within the XACML flow functionality of WSO2 Identity Server version 5.1.0. This security flaw resides in the entitlement management system that processes XACML (eXtensible Access Control Markup Language) policy evaluation requests. The vulnerability specifically affects the entitlement/eval-policy-submit.jsp endpoint, which serves as a critical interface for handling access control decisions within the identity management framework. The flaw enables malicious actors to exploit the trust relationship between the web application and legitimate users, potentially allowing unauthorized privilege escalation through crafted malicious requests.
The technical exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs when an attacker crafts a malicious web page or link that, when visited by an authenticated administrator or privileged user, automatically submits a request to the vulnerable endpoint. The attack leverages the fact that the application does not properly validate the origin of requests originating from the XACML evaluation interface. This allows attackers to perform actions such as submitting arbitrary XACML policy requests, modifying access control policies, or executing unauthorized entitlement operations without the knowledge or consent of the legitimate user. The vulnerability falls under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery flaws in web applications. The attack vector operates through standard web browser mechanisms where the victim's browser automatically includes any relevant cookies or authentication tokens when making requests to the vulnerable endpoint, thereby impersonating the authenticated user.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or modification to encompass complete compromise of the identity and access management system. An attacker who successfully exploits this CSRF flaw could gain unauthorized access to sensitive policy configurations, modify access control rules that govern system permissions, or potentially escalate privileges to gain administrative control over the entire identity server. This represents a significant threat to enterprise security infrastructure since the WSO2 Identity Server typically manages critical authentication and authorization functions for organizations. The vulnerability affects not only individual user accounts but potentially the entire access control framework, making it particularly dangerous in environments where centralized identity management is critical for security operations. The impact aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.003 which covers abuse of Sudo or other privilege escalation mechanisms, though in this case the escalation occurs through web application interface manipulation rather than direct system commands.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigations including the deployment of proper anti-CSRF token mechanisms within the XACML evaluation endpoints, ensuring that all requests to the entitlement/eval-policy-submit.jsp page require valid, time-bound tokens that are generated per session and validated server-side. The implementation should follow industry best practices for CSRF protection as outlined in OWASP CSRF Prevention Cheat Sheet and should include proper session management controls. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network-level protections such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious patterns of requests to the vulnerable endpoint. The most effective long-term solution involves upgrading to patched versions of WSO2 Identity Server where the CSRF protection mechanisms have been properly implemented and validated. Security teams should also conduct thorough penetration testing to identify any other potential CSRF vulnerabilities in the broader application ecosystem and implement comprehensive monitoring for unauthorized access control policy changes that might indicate exploitation attempts.