CVE-2017-4959 in PCF Elastic Runtime
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in Pivotal PCF Elastic Runtime 1.8.x versions prior to 1.8.29 and 1.9.x versions prior to 1.9.7. Pivotal Cloud Foundry deployments using the Pivotal Account application are vulnerable to a flaw which allows an authorized user to take over the account of another user, causing account lockout and potential escalation of privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/27/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-4959 represents a critical authorization flaw within Pivotal Cloud Foundry Elastic Runtime deployments that affects specific version ranges of the platform. This issue specifically impacts installations using the Pivotal Account application component, which serves as the authentication and authorization mechanism for user management within the platform. The vulnerability stems from improper session management and user privilege handling within the application's authentication flow, creating a path for malicious users to exploit legitimate access rights for unauthorized account takeovers.
The technical flaw manifests through a weakness in how the Pivotal Account application processes user authentication tokens and session identifiers during the account switching or delegation process. An authorized user with legitimate credentials can manipulate the application's internal state to assume the identity of another user within the system. This occurs due to insufficient validation of user permissions and lack of proper access control checks when transitioning between user accounts. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization within software systems, specifically targeting the failure to properly enforce access controls during user account operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, creating significant security risks for organizations using Pivotal Cloud Foundry deployments. When an attacker successfully exploits this flaw, they can lock out legitimate users from their accounts while simultaneously gaining access to potentially sensitive data and system resources available to the compromised accounts. This privilege escalation capability allows for further exploitation within the platform, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects the core authentication mechanisms of the platform, undermining the trust model that organizations rely upon for secure multi-tenant cloud deployments.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to the patched versions of Pivotal Cloud Foundry Elastic Runtime, specifically versions 1.8.29 and 1.9.7 or later. System administrators should also review and audit existing user accounts for any unauthorized access patterns, implement enhanced monitoring for account switching activities, and consider implementing additional authentication controls such as multi-factor authentication. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the T1078 credential access tactic where adversaries leverage legitimate credentials to gain access to additional accounts. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of their cloud infrastructure to identify other potential authorization flaws that may exist within similar application frameworks and deployment configurations.