CVE-2017-6529 in dnaLIMS
Summary
by MITRE
An issue was discovered in dnaTools dnaLIMS 4-2015s13. dnaLIMS is vulnerable to session hijacking by guessing the UID parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/29/2024
The vulnerability identified in dnaTools dnaLIMS version 4-2015s13 represents a critical session management flaw that exposes the system to unauthorized access through session hijacking techniques. This issue specifically targets the UID parameter handling within the application's authentication mechanism, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit weak session token generation and validation processes. The vulnerability stems from predictable or insufficiently random session identifiers that can be guessed or enumerated by attackers, allowing them to impersonate legitimate users and gain unauthorized access to sensitive laboratory information management systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the inadequate entropy and randomness of the UID parameter generation algorithm within the dnaLIMS application. When users authenticate to the system, the application assigns a session identifier that should be sufficiently random and unpredictable to prevent unauthorized access attempts. However, in this version of dnaLIMS, the UID parameter exhibits patterns or insufficient randomness that enables attackers to systematically guess valid session tokens. This weakness aligns with CWE-330, which addresses insufficient entropy in random number generation, and represents a direct violation of secure session management best practices. The predictable nature of these identifiers creates a scenario where an attacker can perform brute force or enumeration attacks against the session token space to gain unauthorized access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as dnaLIMS systems typically handle highly sensitive genetic and biological research data that requires strict access controls and audit trails. Laboratory information management systems containing patient genetic data, research results, and proprietary scientific information become vulnerable to data breaches, intellectual property theft, and potential regulatory violations. The consequences include unauthorized modification of research data, access to confidential patient information, and potential compromise of ongoing research projects. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations in healthcare, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology sectors where compliance with regulations such as HIPAA and GDPR is critical. The session hijacking capability allows attackers to maintain persistent access to the system, potentially enabling long-term data exfiltration or manipulation without detection.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including strengthening session token generation to ensure sufficient entropy and randomness, implementing proper session management controls, and establishing robust session validation mechanisms. The remediation approach should involve updating the dnaLIMS application to version 4-2015s14 or later, which addresses the UID parameter generation flaw through improved cryptographic random number generation. Additionally, organizations should implement session timeout mechanisms, monitor for suspicious session activity, and establish proper access logging to detect potential exploitation attempts. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper session management as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.001 for privilege escalation through session hijacking. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of similar applications and ensure that all session management components follow established security guidelines and industry standards for cryptographic strength and randomness.