CVE-2017-1000045 in Mautic
Summary
by MITRE
Mautic SSO/OAuth2 plugins are vulnerable to CSRF of the state parameter resulting in authentication bypass through clickjacking
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/01/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-1000045 affects Mautic SSO/OAuth2 plugins and represents a critical security flaw that combines cross-site request forgery with clickjacking techniques to achieve authentication bypass. This vulnerability specifically targets the state parameter implementation within the OAuth2 authentication flow, which is designed to prevent CSRF attacks by ensuring that the authentication request originates from the legitimate application. The flaw occurs when the state parameter validation is insufficiently implemented, allowing malicious actors to manipulate this security mechanism through carefully crafted clickjacking attacks that trick users into performing unintended authentication actions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the improper handling of the OAuth2 state parameter within the Mautic plugin architecture. The state parameter is a crucial component of the OAuth2 protocol designed to maintain state between the request and the callback, preventing CSRF attacks by ensuring that the authentication request and response are part of the same session. However, when the plugin fails to properly validate or sanitize this parameter, attackers can exploit this weakness by embedding the Mautic authentication endpoint within an iframe or similar construct. The clickjacking technique involves tricking users into clicking on seemingly benign elements on a malicious page, while the underlying iframe performs actions on the victim's behalf, effectively bypassing the intended authentication controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows attackers to completely bypass the authentication mechanisms that should protect user access to Mautic systems. When successful, this attack enables unauthorized access to user accounts, potentially leading to data breaches, unauthorized modifications to marketing campaigns, and access to sensitive customer information. The vulnerability affects the entire OAuth2 authentication flow within Mautic, making it particularly dangerous as it undermines the fundamental security assumptions of the single sign-on implementation. Organizations using Mautic with SSO/OAuth2 plugins become vulnerable to attacks that can result in complete account compromise and potential lateral movement within the organization's digital infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper state parameter validation and incorporating robust clickjacking protection mechanisms. Organizations should ensure that the state parameter is properly generated with sufficient entropy and that the authentication system validates this parameter against the original request. The implementation should include proper Content Security Policy headers to prevent framing attacks and utilize X-Frame-Options headers to prevent clickjacking. Additionally, Mautic administrators should update to patched versions of the SSO/OAuth2 plugins and implement monitoring for suspicious authentication patterns. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which covers Cross-Site Request Forgery, and represents a specific implementation weakness that falls under ATT&CK technique T1566, specifically targeting credential access through social engineering and web-based attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication to provide defense in depth against such attacks.