CVE-2016-8638 in ipsilon
Summary
by MITRE
A vulnerability in ipsilon was found that allows attacker to log out active sessions of other users. This issue is related to how it tracks sessions, and allows an unauthenticated attacker to view and terminate active sessions from other users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/18/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-8638 resides within the ipsilon authentication framework, specifically targeting session management mechanisms that govern user authentication states. This flaw represents a critical authorization bypass vulnerability that fundamentally undermines the integrity of user session tracking and control. The issue manifests in the improper handling of session identifiers and their associated metadata, creating a pathway for unauthorized entities to manipulate active user sessions without proper authentication credentials.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient session validation controls within the ipsilon framework's session management module. Attackers can leverage this weakness to enumerate active sessions and subsequently terminate them through crafted requests that bypass normal authentication requirements. The flaw operates at the application layer where session tracking mechanisms fail to properly verify session ownership or implement adequate access controls for session manipulation operations. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-613, which addresses inadequate session management that allows for session hijacking or manipulation attacks.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant security risks for organizations relying on ipsilon for identity management and authentication services. An attacker with minimal privileges or even no authentication can disrupt legitimate user access by terminating active sessions, effectively performing session hijacking or denial-of-service attacks against other users. The implications extend beyond simple session termination as this capability can be leveraged to escalate attacks through session fixation or to create confusion and operational disruption within authentication systems. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the authentication infrastructure by allowing unauthorized session manipulation.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly under the techniques related to credential access and privilege escalation. The ability to manipulate active sessions provides attackers with a means to maintain persistent access or disrupt user operations while remaining undetected. Organizations utilizing ipsilon systems should implement immediate mitigations including strengthening session validation controls, implementing proper access controls for session management functions, and deploying network monitoring to detect unusual session termination patterns. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the importance of proper session lifecycle management and the need for robust session tracking mechanisms that prevent unauthorized access to session resources. The issue underscores the necessity of implementing comprehensive session management policies that align with industry best practices for authentication and authorization controls.